UPDATE: A professor at Barry University in Orlando, 70-year-old Glen-Peter Ahlers, has been arrested for allegedly possessing hundreds, possibly thousands, of child pornography images. The shocking details were revealed in an affidavit released on Thursday, confirming that Ahlers had disturbing images involving infants and toddlers engaged in sexual acts.
The investigation began in October 2022 when Dropbox alerted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about suspicious content linked to Ahlers’ account. Officials report that the images included graphic depictions of children, some bound and gagged, during acts of abuse. Authorities quickly responded, leading to a search of Ahlers’ residence and university office.
In a troubling discovery, detectives uncovered “hundreds or thousands” of pornographic images and videos on Ahlers’ hard drive, according to the affidavit. These images depict the molestation of young children, including school-age girls in explicit acts with adult males.
Ahlers, who has been with Barry University since 2002, was placed on administrative leave following his arrest on February 3, 2023. Initially jailed, he posted a $100,000 bond and is no longer listed as an inmate at the Orange County Jail as of Thursday afternoon. As of now, he has not entered a plea.
The investigation revealed a meticulous organization of the Dropbox account, with images categorized in folders, raising further alarms about Ahlers’ activities. During a police interview, Ahlers claimed his attraction to child pornography stemmed from “curiosity,” labeling it a “private embarrassment.” He suggested he had deleted materials from his hard drives in preparation for his marriage. However, investigators later found incriminating content stored on a hard drive in his home office.
In a deeply disturbing twist, Ahlers’ wife indicated she was not surprised by the allegations, stating she had previously caught him “looking at young teenage girls in public.” Furthermore, investigators discovered four images on Ahlers’ phone that appeared to target a young woman believed to be a student at Barry University.
Ahlers’ attorney, Matthew Ferry, has not yet commented on the case. As this investigation unfolds, the implications for Barry University and the broader community are significant. Authorities are urging anyone with additional information to come forward as they continue to scrutinize Ahlers’ activities.
Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story as more information becomes available.