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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A former Long Beach Police Department officer charged with possession and distribution of child pornography pleaded not guilty today.
Anthony Mark Brown, 56, was charged in March with three counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child or youth pornography -- all felonies.
He was ordered not to have any unsupervised time with minors as a condition of remaining free on bond.
Brown -- a 26-year veteran of the Long Beach Police Department who was then assigned to the Long Beach Airport -- was arrested Feb. 10 while on duty.
He was initially suspended without pay during the course of the criminal and internal affairs investigations and subsequently retired from the force.
Police said a tip received in May 2020 “regarding a possible online crime against a child'' led officers to Brown, who was identified through an investigation as “the suspect responsible for this crime.''
Brown's Lakewood home was searched after he was taken into custody. The police department did not provide details on whether evidence was discovered during the search.
Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish said after the arrest that Brown's alleged 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.''
Shortly after the charges were filed, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said in a statement, “Any case involving the exploitation of a child is extremely disturbing, but it is particularly alarming when it involves a law enforcement officer. When an officer violates their sworn oath to serve and protect the community, they will be held to account.''
A date is scheduled to be set Sept. 27 for a hearing to determine if there is sufficient evidence to allow the case to proceed to trial.
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