San Diego State police officer arrested on child porn charge, investigation underway

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego State University announced Tuesday that a campus police officer was arrested on a child porn charge.

According to a message distributed across the campus, the Homeland Security Investigations Cyber Crimes Investigators unit contacted the University Police Department on March 13 to inform it about the officer’s arrest off campus.

The officer was charged with possession of child pornography the following day, March 14, as HSI accused him of downloading child pornography on his personal computer.

San Diego State Chief of Police Gregory Murphy says that UPD condemns all forms of exploitation and abuse.

“This is shocking, and I want to immediately acknowledge that no child – and no one – should ever experience exploitation, and to also recognize the pain and upset this has caused within our organization,” Murphy says. “This is painful, and these cases can be especially difficult for survivors of abuse.”

In the campus message, UPD says it does not have more information to share about this case since it was not the investigating or arresting agency.

“I fully support HSI in conducting a thorough and comprehensive criminal investigation,” Murphy says.

UPD did not identify the officer who was arrested, citing employee privacy laws. He was still in custody as of Tuesday afternoon. Murphy says the department “immediately” moved to terminate the officer when it learned about the allegations.

In closing, the campus message pointed to support resources available through the university.

“I also know that trust is built through action. That is why we at UPD also commit to continuing to prioritize our charge to aid in the safety and well-being of all individuals,” Murphy says. “We will continue our many efforts aiding in the prevention of sexual violence through education and other efforts, supporting survivors through a trauma-informed practice and serving our full SDSU community while upholding the highest standards of integrity and respect.”

Follow this link to see the university support resources.