MUPD officer resigns after internal investigation
The former officer possessed pornographic material in a police car.
Published April 30, 2010
The Mid-Missouri Internet Crimes Task Force is investigating a former MU Police Department officer who was found to have possessed pornographic material in a police car.
Nathan Roberts resigned about a month ago after being confronted with an internal investigation, MUPD Chief Jack Watring said. Another MUPD officer found a thumb drive with pornographic material in a police car after Roberts' shift.
Watring said the internal investigation took about a week because the head of internal affairs was out of town.
"We were careful to follow all policy and procedures where that was concerned," Watring said. "We were very careful to keep our internal investigation separate from any criminal proceedings that may or may not happen."
Watring said MUPD contacted the Boone County Sheriff's Department and all information regarding the incident was turned over to the Internet Crimes Task Force.
The task force works with agencies across mid-Missouri to investigate crimes involving computers or the Internet, according to its website.
Task force investigations include, but are not limited to: Internet enticement of children, child pornography, trafficking of children, trafficking of illegal narcotics to children, harassment, cyber bullying, terrorist threats and other crimes facilitated through the use of computers, the Internet or other electronic media.
The task force refused to comment because of the ongoing investigation but said a news release will be posted when the investigation concludes.
9:50 p.m., April 30, 2010
Brandon said:
Unless it's child porn or something involving coercion, who cares? Why should MUPD go through some costly investigation over what lots of men look at? Ooh, porn! When are we gonna get over this prudishness of American culture? Sex is sex. Some people do it for money. Some do it for film. Some do it in private with their lover. It's all a matter of preference. Now, I'll admit that it was stupid and wrong for the cop to leave it in an official car, but they should've let him off with a warning. If it happened again, THEN they should've done something like suspend him.