FBI: Raid of Palm Beach Gardens lawyer's home found him downloading, viewing child pornography
WEST PALM BEACH — FBI agents arrested a Palm Beach Gardens lawyer known for representing victims of sexual abuse after they found him actively downloading and viewing child pornography on his laptop, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.
The officers forcefully entered the West Palm Beach home of Michael T. Dolce, 53, on March 15 and found the attorney in bed, an open laptop containing nearly 2,000 images and photos of child pornography in front of him, according to his arrest affidavit.
Prosecutors say Dolce used a BitTorrent network, which are built for peer-to-peer file sharing, to anonymously download pornography depicting children between 5 and 11 years old in sexually explicit positions. Authorities have not said what led to them to obtain search warrants of Dolce's home and car.
Leonard Scott Feuer, Dolce’s attorney, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
More on Michael Dolce: Attorney represented girl suing diocese, Catholic school in Jupiter over sexual abuse allegations
Dolce worked as a partner at the Palm Beach Gardens law firm Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, where he led the firm's Sexual Abuse, Sex Trafficking and Domestic Violence team, according to a now-deleted entry on the firm's website.
"Dolce brings to his work the insight and commitment of a survivor, having himself been the victim of sexual abuse as a young boy at the hands of a sadistic predator," the entry says.
In a statement to The Palm Beach Post, the firm said it was "stunned and saddened" by the allegations against Dolce. A spokesperson confirmed he was fired as a result and is no longer affiliated with the firm.
Prior to his arrest, Dolce was acclaimed for helping push Florida to lift its statute of limitations on sex offenses protecting Catholic priests and others from prosecution.
Dolce served on the advisory board of Florida's Children First, a nonprofit legal-aid organization devoted to representing children in "at-risk" situations, according to a now-deleted entry on its website.
The website entry said Dolce founded a political committee called "Protect Our Kids First, Inc.” and served on the governing board of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in West Palm Beach.
Aimee Adler Cooke, a spokesperson with the church, said that while Dolce’s case pends, congregation leaders have instructed him not to attend or participate in church events. She declined to comment on the allegations or say whether an internal investigation is underway.
Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Child abuse advocate and lawyer arrested on child pornography charges
