Maryland State Trooper arrested, charged with allegedly possessing child pornography
BALTIMORE -- A Maryland State Trooper faces multiple charges after he was allegedly found to be in the possession of child pornography, according to the Maryland State Police.
Christopher Black, 48, faces six counts of possession of child pornography and was arrested on Friday morning, authorities said.
Black had obtained the rank of sergeant following more than two decades with the Maryland State Police, authorities said. He was assigned to the North East Barrack.
Black's police powers have been suspended with pay pending the outcome of the investigation, according to the Maryland State Police.
The investigation into Black's activity began on April 6, authorities said.
That's when the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploiting Children that an online user, later identified as Black, had uploaded an image of what appeared to be child pornography, according to the Maryland State Police.
Two months later, on June 16, members of the Maryland State Police Computer Crime Unit conducted a search of Black's residence, authorities said.
At his home, investigators found a personal computer, which they seized for forensic analysis. That analysis showed that Black had been in possession of child pornography, according to the Maryland State Police.