LONG BEACH (CNS) - A 26-year veteran Long Beach Police Department officer assigned to Long Beach Airport was arrested today, accused of possessing child pornography.
Anthony Mark Brown, 56, was taken into custody while on duty, and has been suspended without pay during the course of the criminal and internal affairs investigations, police said.
Police said a tip in May 2020 “regarding a possible online crime against a child,'' led officers to Brown, who they identified through an investigation as “the suspect responsible for this crime,'' the department said.
After Brown was taken into custody, a search of his Lakewood home was conducted, according to police. The department did not provide details on whether evidence was discovered during the search.
Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish said Brown's actions “do not represent the professionalism and commitment that all of our employees show every day while protecting our community.''
“When the actions of an individual employee erode the values of our organization and the public trust all of us have worked so hard to cultivate, they must be held accountable,'' he said, adding that, “protecting children is one of our most sacred responsibilities.''
Brown, who was assigned to the Security Services Division at Long Beach Airport, was being held on $20,000 bail.
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