PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — William Barbre, a former captain with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, has been sentenced to 10 years in state prison after pleading guilty to 30 felony counts of possession of child pornography.
Barbre, 45, was arrested in April 2025. Detectives found more than 100 files depicting child sexual abuse.
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According to the arrest report, Barbre told deputies he felt "repugnant" after viewing the files, adding he would delete them afterward.
Court documents say Barbre confirmed the videos in his possession involved unlawful sexual activity of victims under the age of 15.
Following his prison sentence, Barbre will face 5 years of sex offender probation and will be required to register as a sex offender. The terms of his probation bar him from accessing the internet, social media, smartphones, computers, or digital storage devices.
I reached out to Palm Beach County Fire Rescue for a response. The department said in a brief statement that it became aware of the matter involving Barbre on April 16, 2025, and immediately placed him on administrative leave without pay. His employment ended six days later.
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