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SPRING HILL - The Hernando County Sheriff's Office arrested a 18-year-old after they obtained a photograph which showed him holding a gun dangerously close to a minor.
Sheriff's deputies took Joseph Michael Maher of Spring Hill into custody on Sunday and charged him with child neglect and culpable negligence - both felonies.
The arrest came after authorities were investigating the possible gang affiliations of a girl they believed was a runaway last week, a sheriff's report stated. The girl was not identified.
During the investigation, deputies obtained photographs, including a group shot showing Maher brandishing a .45-caliber handgun while his arm was draped around the 4-year-old girl's right shoulder, the report said.
Authorities were unable to disclose if the child in the picture was related to Maher due to the nature of the allegations and because of the victim's age. However, the report stated that an intoxicated Maher may have pointed the gun at the girl's leg when the picture was taken.
Maher has denied placing the girl in danger. He told detectives that the weapon in question was a pellet gun, not a handgun.
Maher has other cases pending in court involving felony battery, two counts of battery on a law enforcement official, witness tampering and obstruction of justice.
Maher was 17 at the time of the alleged crime and was adjudicated as an adult, court records indicate. He was being held in the Hernando County Jail.