Thread: Border Patrol agent arrested on child porn charges

Border Patrol agent arrested on child porn charges

October 22, 2010 11:50 AM
By ILDEFONSO ORTIZ, The Brownsville Herald

A U.S. Border Patrol agent was arrested by the Cameron County Sheriff’s Department on child pornagraphy charges, officials said.

Ernesto Padron, 38, was served with a search warrant and an arrest warrant on Thursday afternoon charging him with possession and promotion of child pornography, said Sheriff Omar Lucio.

On Friday morning, a Cameron County magistrate judge set bail for Padron at $500,000. The hearing was at the Carrizalez-Rucker Detention Center, where Padron remains in custody.

The arrest came after a lengthy investigation by the sheriff’s department, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Office of Professional Responsibility and by USBP Internal Affairs, Lucio said.

Padron, a Brownsville native and a 13-year veteran of the Border Patrol, is accused of possessing a large number of pornographic photographs and videos of underage children, the sheriff said.

"Apparently he had been doing this for two or three years," Lucio said. "As to the amount of material I’m not exactly sure, but it is a large amount."

According to Lucio, Padron worked at the Brownsville Station, located near Veterans International Bridge, and was arrested at his workplace. He said sheriff’s deputies also searched Padron’s house and seized his personal portable computer and his desktop computer.

However, according to Border Patrol spokeswoman Rosalinda Huey, Padron was arrested at his residence and not at the station.

Huey stated that on Friday morning, Padron turned in his resignation, which was accepted. During his arraignment Friday, Padron stated that he was unemployed and asked for a public defender.

Border Patrol officials declined to comment on the case, saying the investigation is ongoing.

http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/c ... order.html

You will always find a few that are bad apples in law enforcement......it happens