Arizona fugitive wanted for sex crimes by the U.S. Army
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HOENIX (CBS5) -
An alleged child predator who grew up in Arizona is wanted by authorities in Florida and by the U.S. Army.
Staff Sergeant Michael Edward Harris, 34, was arrested in Orlando, FL in March of 2013 and charged with 44 counts of possessing child pornography.
Warrants for his arrest have been issued on those charges and crimes including indecent acts upon a child and forced sodomy.
Sgt. Harris is on the U.S. Army's top 20 most wanted list. Army investigators are working with the U.S. Marshals Service and the Department of State to track him down. According to an Army official, records show he boarded a plane to Cambodia in January of this year.
"I want him located. I want him found. I want him brought back to serve his punishment," said Sgt. Harris' former wife Denise Diaz who lives in Kentucky.
Diaz tells CBS5 Sgt. Harris grew up in Mayer, AZ, which is about an hour north of Phoenix. He attended a military high school in Kansas before enlisting in the Army.
According to Diaz, Harris served as a military police officer and an investigator. He was working with the FBI and a counter-terrorism task force in Orlando when he was arrested.
It is unclear at this point what action, if any, the Army took as a result of his arrest.
Sgt. Harris was reported absent without leave (AWOL) on Jan. 17 and formally charged with desertion in February.
Diaz tells CBS5 that Harris has been stationed in New York, Missouri, Hawaii, Florida and Korea. She believes there are more victims of his alleged sexual perversion.
"The fact that he seeks them out and tries to cram that he's a soldier and was a police officer is just beyond disgusting. There's no punishment besides death to me in my opinion for what he's done," Diaz said.
DIAZ has started a Facebook page, "Fugitive Michael Edward Harris bring Him to Justice."
She's hopeful that sharing her story will help lead to Harris' capture. Authorities believe he is hiding in either Cambodia or Vietnam.
