Matthew Parsons, a 48-year-old officer with the Farmington Hills Police Department in Oakland County has been a police officer for 20 years. But now, he has been charged with the use of child pornography. He appeared before Oakland County 51st District Court Judge Richard Kuhn for his probable cause hearing late in the day on June 6, 2016, and was granted bail of $300,000.
Farmington Hills Police Chief Chuck Nebus says that Parsons is alleged to have used his own personally owned electronic devices to store the child sexually abusive material. The investigation started because of a kiddie porn tip that was reported and was followed up on by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Parsons was interviewed by investigators and then placed on paid administrative leave from his position as a police officer. He will remain on paid leave until an internal investigation is completed or he is convicted of criminal activity, whichever comes first. At that time, based on the outcome, he will be terminated.
According to a press release put out by the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, Parsons is facing thirteen Michigan felony counts. The charges include five counts of Possession of Child Sexually Abusive Material, five counts of Using a Computer to Commit a Crime and three counts of Capturing/Distributing Images of an Unclothed Person.
All three of these criminal charges Parsons is facing are felonies under Michigan law.
Possession of Child Sexually Abusive Material is punishable by up to four years in prison and possible fines of up to $10,000. Using a Computer to Commit a Crime is punishable by up to seven years in prison with fines of up to $5,000 and Capturing/Distributing Images of an Unclothed Person is punishable by up to five years in prison and a possible fine of $5,000. In addition, conviction can lead to placement on Michigan’s Sex Offender Registry.
In a public statement made by Farmington Hills Chief Nebus, he shared that fellow police officers were stunned by the news and want the public to know that they are cooperating fully with the investigation. He also stated that the officers of the FHPD want area residents to know that “this incident is not reflective of the integrity and dedication of the officers who proudly serve and protect this community. Nothing is more important than earning and maintaining community trust.”
The attorneys at Kronzek & Cronkright would like to take a moment to remind our readers that all defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty. Officer Parsons has been accused of several crimes but has not been convicted, and only when and if that conviction takes place will he be considered guilty in the eyes of the law. More information about our extensive experience representing people accused of sex crimes can be found at www.SexCrimeAttorneys.com or by calling 1 866-766-5245.