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NH police officer arrested in Mass. on child pornography charges
John Giarrusso, an officer with the Seabrook Police Department, was arrested Monday in Haverhill.
A New Hampshire police officer was arrested this week in Massachusetts on child pornography charges.
John Giarrusso, an officer with the Seabrook Police Department, was arrested Monday in Haverhill, Mass. and charged with felony counts of possession of child pornography, distributing material of a child in the nude, and disseminating obscene matter to a minor, according to court records. He pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment Monday.
In a statement, the Seabrook Police Department said that Giarrusso was placed on administrative leave following his arrest “given the nature of the accused crimes.”
“The Seabrook Police Department strives to uphold the highest standards of conduct in our staff both on and off duty,” the statement read. “Allegations of criminal conduct against a law enforcement officer are taken seriously and will be dealt with swiftly and appropriately. We will continue to cooperate with Haverhill Police investigators and monitor this case as it moves forward.”
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Giarrusso’s arrest was part of an investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, WCVB reports. A criminal complaint obtained by the station alleges that the 48-year-old police officer was sending and receiving graphic text messages about having sex with children as young as 7. He allegedly uploaded videos to a messaging app showing children being raped by adults and communicated with other users on the app about arranging sex with their wives and young daughters, WCVB reports.
Giarrusso posted bail, set at $100,000, and is scheduled to return to court on April 2 for a probable cause hearing.
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An attorney for Giarrusso did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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