03/31/2026
A Rockingham County man working at a Harrisonburg preschool has been arrested on charges related to child po*******hy. This was a result of a joint investigation with partners of the NOVA-DC ICAC Task Force.
On February 23, 2026, The United States Secret Service (USSS) forwarded information to the Harrisonburg Police Department (HPD) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) regarding a cryptocurrency account that had been used to purchase child po*******hy.
On March 4, 2026, it was confirmed that the account belonged to Zachary Harger, 28, of Rockingham County – an individual HPD had recently begun to investigate following a complaint made against him related to inappropriate conduct with a child. HPD immediately began working with the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) following this new information from the USSS, and a search warrant of Harger’s home was executed on March 13, 2026.
During the course of the investigation, HPD digital forensic examiners discovered pornographic images of a young child on Harger’s cellphone. The images were suspected to have been taken in the bathroom of the preschool where he worked. In coordination with Child Protective Services (CPS) and the HPD Victim Services Liaison Unit, the family of the student was notified. The victim was a preschool student of Harger’s. No other information related to the victim will be provided.
The Harrisonburg Police Department has charged Harger with four felonies:
• Three counts of manufacturing child po*******hy from August 20, 2025-November 25, 2025
• One count of unlawful filming
HPD officials have been communicating directly with the school administration and Harrisonburg City Public Schools related to the investigation. Their assistance and cooperation has been vital, and we appreciate their continued partnership as we work to ensure student safety and support a thorough, timely investigation.
HPD would like to thank the United States Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, Child Protective Services, and the Nova-DC Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce for their diligent and swift action in this case.
The Nova-DC ICAC Task Force is an Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force program consisting of professionals with backgrounds in various disciplines and from multiple jurisdictions, to address the needs of juvenile victims of sexual exploitation. It establishes forums for discussion about methods to safeguard children from cyber predators and provides a coordinated effort to deter, detect, and prosecute violators. Detectives conduct undercover online investigative projects regularly and provide training and information about Internet crimes to children, parents, community organizations, criminal justice professionals, judiciary officials, and legislators.
