Henagar Police officer arrested on child pornography related charge

DEKALB CO., Ala. (WAFF) - A now ex-Henagar Police officer was arrested on a public dissemination and displaying obscene matter charge on Thursday night.

According to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, investigators received a report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding a social media account that was used to share child pornography.

DeKalb County Investigators and Special Response Team, along with ALEA, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Department of Homeland Security executed a search warrant at a residence in Jackson County early Thursday morning.

According to officials, after reviewing IP address details and logs, obtaining electronic devices, and speaking with witnesses, it was determined that another potential suspect in the case was a Henagar police officer.

Evidence was gathered to secure an arrest warrant for 40-year-old Joshua Kwon, who was charged with public dissemination/display of obscene matter under 17. The alleged crimes took place on Kik Messenger, according to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office.

Following his arrest, Kwon was terminated as a Henagar Police officer.

“This is a sad day for law enforcement,” Henagar Police Chief Randell Smith said.

It is a very unfortunate day when we have to investigate and arrest one of our own. However, we believe that law enforcement officers are held to the highest standard and any misconduct will not be tolerated or overlooked. We would like to thank ALEA, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the Henagar Police Department, the DeKalb County Special Response Team, and the Department of Homeland Security for their assistance with this case. We are dedicated to working closely with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Internet Crime Against Children to help combat this illegal activity regardless of who it is!

According to jail records, Kwon was released from the DeKalb County Jail within three hours.

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