2 WA law enforcement officers accused of crimes against children

Two law enforcement officers have been accused of separate crimes against children, Arlington and Mason County officials said.

An Arlington police officer was arrested by the Island County sheriff's office on allegations of possessing images showing children engaged in sexual content, Arlington police officials said.

The officer was put on administrative leave until both an internal investigation and a criminal investigation are completed, according to a news release by the city of Arlington.

Arlington police Chief Jonathan Ventura said that the officer had been on the force more than seven years and had come from another law enforcement agency in Washington.

The officer was arrested around 7 p.m. Tuesday, Ventura said. He was respected on the force, is a military veteran and had been trusted to train young officers in the field, he said.

"This is devastating news to us, if you could see the faces of the officers in this department it would speak for itself," Ventura said. "How long is this going to take us to regain public trust?"

Arlington police are cooperating with the sheriff's office while remaining mindful of the integrity of the ongoing criminal investigation and the legal rights of all parties involved, city officials said.

Also on Tuesday, a 42-year-old corrections officer was arrested by the Mason County sheriff's office in connection with an Internet Crimes Against Children investigation.

The ICAC is a national task force that deals with child sexual abuse images, The man is alleged to have had videos depicting child sexual abuse on his phone, according to a KING 5 report.

The man was arrested at the Washington Corrections Center, where he works, according to Chris Wright, spokesperson for the state Department of Corrections. Wright said the man has been placed on home assignment while legal proceedings are underway.

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