A 26-year veteran of the Long Beach Police Department in California was arrested while on duty on Wednesday, February 10.
56-year-old Anthony Mark Brown has been suspended without pay while the investigation continues and Internal Affairs conducts their own investigation. He remains in custody in the Signal Hill Jail on $20,000 bail.
“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,” Acting Chief of Police Wally Hebeish said in response to the arrest. “Protecting children is one of our most sacred responsibilities, and the actions of this officer do not represent the professionalism and commitment that all of our employees show every day while protecting our community.”
The Long Beach Police Officer's Association took to Twitter to state that while everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty, the union will not be providing for Brown's legal defense.
Brown's arrest comes as the result of an investigation which started in May 2020 when a tip was received by the internet crimes task force citing "possible online crimes against a child."
While he was in custody, a search warrant was executed at his residence and electronic devices were taken. A forensic examination is still underway and the results will be released at a later time.