Detroit police officer accused of possessing and distributing child pornography

DETROIT (WJBK) - A Detroit police officer is is facing child pornography charges after a search warrant was executed at his home in Trenton Tuesday night.

According to the criminal complaint, an undercover sergeant with a sheriff's office in Nevada saw suspicious documents in a BitTorrent file sharing program that appear to have originated at the IP address belonging to Miguel Martinez.

Over the next few days, the undercover sergeant downloaded multiple incomplete but viewable files from the IP address. The complaint says that all of the files appear to depict real minor children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Federal authorities searched Martinez's home on Ridge View Drive in Trenton Tuesday night. They removed computer items from his house.

Martinez admitted afterward in an interview that he had been using the file sharing program to download files, and that he "may have seen" child pornography files. He has been charged with possession, distribution and receipt of child pornography.

Chief James Craig said in a news conference Wednesday afternoon that Martinez has been a member of the Detroit Police Department for 29 years.

"His deputy chief referred to him as average officer, nothing stellar that stood out," Craig said.

The officer has been suspended with pay. Chief Craig says that's common practice, and once an officer has been charged his or her suspension is switched to be without pay. 

"We take any criminal allegations seriously. We will investigate. We will push for prosecution, and we're unrelenting on that," Craig said.

The sheriff's office which identified the suspicious IP address allegedly belonging to Martinez is located in Washoe County in Reno, Nevada.

This is a developing story. Stay with FOX 2 for updates.