A Maine police officer has been arrested for allegedly sending obscene material to an individual who he believed to be a 14-year-old girl.
Garrett G. Brosnan, 25, of Bath - a police officer in Brunswick - was arrested Tuesday and charged with attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor, according to U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II.
Authorities say their investigation began when the family of a 13-year-old girl in Flagstaff, Arizona, reported she had an intense, 5-day conversation with a man online that turned sexual.
Federal agents took over and tracked down the IP address, and eventually zeroed in on Officer Brosnan. The agent created a fake online account to pose as a 14-year-old girl and messaged Brosnan.
Court documents detail explicit conversations and images Brosnan allegedly sent earlier this month.
Brunswick Police Chief Richard Rizzo says Brosnan has been placed on administrative leave pending the department's internal investigation.
"The allegations, if true, are extremely concerning, disappointing, and are not in accordance with the high moral standards that I expect of my officers," Rizzo said in a statement.
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Chief Rizzo says Brosnan, who has served on the force for three years, passed a thorough background check and has never been disciplined before. He adds that Brosnan's fellow officers feel betrayed.
He's due in U.S. District Court in in Portland on Wednesday. It's not clear if he has an attorney.
