Former 'detective of the year' accused of sending graphic photos to decoy he thought was teen girl
08/03/2022 11:42 am PDT
SANTA ANA, Calif. (TCD) -- A former policeman in Orange County was taken into custody for allegedly sending inappropriate photos to a person he believed was a 14-year-old girl.
According to the Orange County District Attorney's Office, 43-year-old Gregory Daniel Beaumarchais turned himself in to authorities after being charged with one misdemeanor count of annoying or molesting a victim believed to be under the age of 18. Beaumarchais has reportedly been a member of the Santa Ana Police Department for 11 years.
The statement says Beaumarchais allegedly sent "graphic messages to a civilian decoy" who was pretending to be a teen as part of an investigation with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and OC Crime Stoppers. The decoy reportedly spoke with OC Crime Stoppers and said a man who identified himself as a 45-year-old policeman was sending them photos. This allegedly occurred between December 2021 and January 2022.
The District Attorney's office says Beaumarchais' social media profiles were shut down, but he then created other profiles under a similar name.
On May 7, 2021, the Santa Ana Police Department named Beaumarchais the 2019 detective of the year.
In a statement, the Santa Ana Police Department said they learned Dec. 17, 2021, about the investigation into Beaumarchais' "potential criminal conduct." He has been placed on administrative leave and will remain on leave until the end of the criminal and administrative investigations.
According to the District Attorney's Office, if convicted, Beaumarchais could face up to one year in the Orange County Jail and must register as a sex offender.
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