He had received the Medal of Valor from the St. Petersburg Police Department in 2015,

TAMPA – A decorated St. Petersburg police officer was arrested and accused of child pornography related offenses, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.

Matthew Enhoffer, 34, of St. Petersburg, was arrested and charged by federal criminal complaint with distribution and possession of child pornography. If convicted, Enhoffer faces a minimum mandatory penalty of five years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison.

Enhoffer was sworn in to the St. Petersburg Police Department in 2015. In October that year, he was awarded the department’s Medal of Valor for his response in handling an armed suspect.

St. Petersburg police Chief Anthony Holloway issued this statement:

“The allegations are particularly difficult for me, and the rest of the St. Petersburg Police Department, because we are sworn to protect all citizens, especially vulnerable children.

“While the St. Petersburg Police Department was not part of the initial investigation, it has cooperated fully with federal investigators. We removed Officer Enhoffer’s department issued weapon, patrol car, and other equipment from his home.

“He is currently on administrative leave without pay. Next week I will convene a command review board to determine his future employment with our department.

“I sincerely hope that these very serious allegations against one officer, will not taint the entire department in the eyes of our community. We have worked very hard to build trust with our residents. I assure you, the actions of one person do not represent the other 561 sworn officers in our department.”

According to the complaint, an individual using the screen name “thehoff727” distributed child pornography on Snapchat, a mobile web-based communications application. Further investigation revealed that the Internet Protocol address and subscriber information associated with that account was linked to Enhoffer’s residence.

On Sept.11,  agents from Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at Enhoffer’s home and seized several electronic devices. An examination of Enhoffer’s cellphone revealed a collection of child-pornographic images and videos, including multiple images and videos involving children under the age of 12 in bondage, being raped, and forced to perform sex acts.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

Photo shows Matthew Enhoffer, left, receiving the Medal of Valor from St. Petersburg police Chief Anthony Holloway in 2015. Courtesy of the St. Petersburg Police Department.

U.S. Attorney | Crime | Courts | Child Pornography | Tampabay News | News Tampa

#USAttorney #Crime #Courts #ChildPornography #TampabayNews #NewsTampa