The police chief of a quiet, suburban town in New York has been charged with downloading and viewing child pornography, according to a report by the Associated Press.
The Department of Homeland Security arrested Mount Pleasant Chief Brian Fanelli on Thursday, after a formal complaint was filed in court against him.
An agent whose identity wasn't publicized told the Associated Press that Fanelli began looking at child pornography when he started teaching sexual abuse awareness courses at two different schools.
But soon after, he started reportedly watching porn "for personal interest," according to the complaint.
Fanelli was released on a $50,000 bond, after he appeared in a White Plains federal court this week.
Fanelli, who has been working as police chief for about two months in Mount Pleasant, didn't enter a plea. The Associated Press did not get a comment from Fanelli's attorney, who left the courthouse promptly after the session.
Fanelli has been working for the force since 1981.
Mount Pleasant is located just 25 miles north of New York City, AP reported.
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