ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- A decorated St. Petersburg police officer is facing federal child pornography charges.
Earlier in the summer, the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations received a tip suggesting that St. Pete police officer Matthew Enhoffer uploaded two suspected child pornographic images. The tip came in through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline.
Homeland Security Investigations raided Enhoffer's home on September 11 and seized a laptop. They found multiple child pornography images on the laptop with the username, "thehoff727," according to federal court documents.
Enhoffer is charged with receipt and distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography, according to federal court documents.
The St. Petersburg Police Department awarded a Medal of Valor to Enhoffer "for his actions in response to an armed suspect" in May 2015.
Following the investigation, St. Pete police placed Enhoffer on administrative leave without pay.
St. Pete police chief Anthony Holloway was emotional during Thursday's press conference following Enhoffer's arrest.
"I don't want one officer to tarnish St. Pete police officers," Chief Holloway said. "We're going to get past this. This department has done a lot."
Chief Holloway said the fact that Enhoffer's arrest involved children made him emotional.
"We're talking about kids here. Hopefully the allegations are not true," Chief Holloway said. " If you walk in this hallway right now you’ll see these officers with their heads down, because it hurts."
