Florida cop charged with distributing, possessing child porn

Federal agents have arrested and charged a 34-year-old St. Petersburg Police Department officer with distribution and possession of child pornography, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Tampa.

Agents from the Homeland Security Office investigated the case and say Matthew Enhoffer was taken into custody on Thursday without incident.

According to the criminal complaint, agents executed a search warrant on Enhoffer’s home on Sept. 11 and seized several electronic devices that revealed a collection of pornographic images and videos of children under the age of 12, “in bondage, being raped, and forced to perform sex acts.”

According to the probable cause outlined by the investigating agent, the majority of images featured children between the ages of 4 to 6 years old.

Agents discovered communications between Enhoffer and unnamed suspect in which they discuss the images they were sharing back and forth with one another, the report states.

If convicted in federal court, Enhoffer faces up to 20 years in prison.

Enhoffer has been placed on administrative leave without pay.

St. Peterburg Police Chief Chris Holloway told Bay News 9: “I don’t want one officer to tarnish St. Pete police officers. There’s over 500 officers each and every day that go out there and give it their all ... so I just want you to know we are going to get past this.”