Clearwater man arrested on additional child porn charges

CLEARWATER — A Clearwater man arrested in April and accused of possessing hundreds of images of child pornography was arrested again Tuesday on additional child pornography possession charges.

Henry Keith Cavaliere, 45, of 1236 Kapok Kove Circle, was arrested on 12 felony charges of sexual performance by a child. He was released from the Pinellas County Jail later Tuesday after posting $120,000 bail.

Florida corporation records list Cavaliere as the president of H.K. Cavaliere Construction Inc.

"Mr. Cavaliere still maintains his innocence," his attorney, Larry Sandefer, said Wednesday.

The new charges came after a forensics examination of Cavaliere's home computer, authorities said. Detectives found a video file and 11 pictures containing images of girls believed to be as young as 6 years old, according to arrest reports.

Cavaliere's April arrest came after Clearwater police received a tip. Detectives searched Cavaliere's house and seized a computer tower and laptop, cameras, memory cards, marijuana and drug paraphernalia, police said.

Records from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement show Cavaliere was arrested by Clearwater police in 1995 on a charge of sexual assault against a victim younger than 16 years old. He was convicted of a lesser charge of battery in that case and received probation.

In 1997, he was accused of fondling a child in Orange County. That charge was also reduced to battery, for which he was convicted and received one year of probation.