Overview
- Prosecutors charged former deputy Fernando Melo Flores, 40, on Tuesday with child pornography possession and unauthorized computer access, carrying a maximum of three years and eight months in state prison plus six months in county jail if convicted.
- Investigators say his phone held numerous images of child sexual abuse and screenshots of searches in CLETS, California’s secure database for law‑enforcement records, tied to his ex‑girlfriend and a romantic rival.
- Prosecutors say he went to his ex‑girlfriend’s home late at night on August 23, 2025, which led to a temporary restraining order, then returned the day after he was served in alleged violation of that order.
- Flores was assigned to John Wayne Airport and resigned from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department during the investigation.
- Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer condemned the alleged conduct as a disgrace to the badge and a breach of public trust.