A Washington, D.C., police officer has been arrested on charges of sexual solicitation of a minor and solicitation of child pornography and is being held without bail.
Lt. Matthew Mahr, a 23-year veteran of the Metropolitan Police Department, was arrested in Harford County, Maryland, on April 14, according to the Washington, D.C.-based NBC affiliate. WRC-TV.
According to the indictment, Mahr sent messages on the Reddit forum r/GayYoungOldDating to someone who appeared to be a 15-year-old boy named “Nate,” but who was actually an undercover Harford County sheriff’s deputy.
Mahr began a series of sexually explicit text exchanges, including sending sexually explicit photos of himself to what he believed to be a 15-year-old boy.
He gave his real name during the exchange and identified himself as a lieutenant in the Special Events Division of the D.C. Police Department’s Special Operations Division, where he allegedly helps provide security for President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and other officials.
Mahr also allegedly shared a phone number that detectives associated with him, along with a photo of himself in uniform in a police cruiser and at least one explicit image taken on a couch at the police station.
According to new york postDuring the conversation, Mahr allegedly described Nate as “young and inexperienced” and asked if he was a sophomore in high school. In one exchange, Mahr mentioned what he believed was the boy’s 16th birthday, which is the age of consent in Maryland, and wrote that he wished “February 11, 2027 was the absolute worst,” according to court documents.
According to court documents, Mahr acknowledged the boy’s age, said he could lose everything if he was caught, asked for sexually explicit photos and arranged to meet the 15-year-old boy after school, according to WRC-TV.
A deputy involved in the investigation allegedly arranged to meet Mahr, claiming that her parents would be out. When Mahr showed up at a Harford County residence for what prosecutors allege was sexual contact with a 15-year-old girl, he was arrested and charged with two counts of child solicitation.
At an April 15 bail review hearing, the judge found probable cause and ordered Mahr held without bail until a preliminary hearing scheduled for May 15.
Mr Mahr previously served as acting superintendent of the Metropolitan Police Department’s then gay and lesbian liaison unit in 2013, when he held the rank of sergeant. That year, he received a Guardian Award from local violence prevention group Gays and Lesbians Against Violence for his work in combating hate crimes.
Mr Mahr held the rank of sergeant in 2013, when he was acting superintendent of the Metropolitan Police’s Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit. That same year, she received the Guardian Award from local violence prevention group Gays and Lesbians Against Violence for her work in combating hate crimes.
Ten years ago, Mahr made history by becoming the first openly gay president of the D.C. police union.
The Harford County Sheriff’s Office contacted Internal Affairs immediately after Mahr’s arrest, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
“The allegations in this case are deeply disturbing and antithetical to the values of the Metropolitan Police Department,” the department said in a statement. “Once the criminal case is concluded, the Metropolitan Police Internal Affairs Unit will investigate the breach of policy. The Metropolitan Police is not involved in the criminal investigation and was not aware of that fact until today.”
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also addressed Mahr’s arrest.
“We don’t know anything about the school district, his employment, any charges or investigations involving the children. We really don’t know what else to say,” she said. “If the allegations are true, we do not want such a person on our force.”
Mahr, an attorney with the Harford County Public Defender’s Office, did not respond to a request for comment.
Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
