East Bay firefighter, facing child pornography charges, may have faked his own death, FBI says

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Published September 30, 2026 2:09 PM PDT

Federal Bureau of Investigation

The Brief

    • An Alameda County firefighter who allegedly drowned in 2023 is being sought by the FBI after investigators determined he may have faked his own death.
    • Charles Jonathen Harris was charged with possession of child pornography shortly before he was reported to have drowned in Suisun Bay.
    • Harris was reported missing by his brother, who was fishing with him when their boat allegedly capsized.

OAKLAND, Calif. - An Alameda County firefighter charged in 2023 with possession of child pornography is being sought by the FBI, after investigators determined he may have faked his death in a boating accident that same year.

Charles Jonathen Harris allegedly drowned in Suisun Bay on April 4, 2023. Law enforcement believed the circumstances of his death warranted further scrutiny, and on April 21 of that year, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Harris, after he was charged with failure to appear in court.

Disappearance

The backstory:

The East Bay Times in October 2023 reported, based on court records and information from the U.S. Coast Guard, that Harris and his brother had gone fishing the night of April 3 in a 15-foot boat in Suisun Bay. Harris’ brother later reported the boat capsized around 11 p.m. and he lost sight of his brother about an hour later.

The U.S. Coast Guard searched the area for two days, but Harris’ body was never recovered. They did locate the boat, which an Assistant U.S. Attorney later said in a court hearing was missing its boat plug, which allows accumulated water to drain out of a boat once it’s on land.

Arrest and charges

Dig deeper:

Harris was indicted on March 2, 2023 over allegations that he had images of child pornography on his iPhone, including pictures of prepubescent children.

"The case allegedly was initiated after federal authorities received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and an investigation uncovered that Harris allegedly uploaded child pornography over social media platform Kik, even while present at fire stations in Alameda County," a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office states.

Harris surrendered himself to federal authorities on March 7, and was released on $100,000 bond with the condition that his internet access be restricted.

If found guilty of the charges against him, Harris faced a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000, as well as restitution ordered by the court.

The FBI is asking anyone with information about the case to contact their local FBI office, or submit a tip online.

The Source: Information for this story was gathered from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, The U.S. Attorney's Office, and The East Bay Times

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