Former Long Beach police officer arrested on federal indictment alleging he distributed and possessed child pornography following HSI probe

LOS ANGELES – A former Long Beach Police officer has been arrested pursuant to a federal grand jury indictment alleging he possessed and distributed child pornography when he was working as a law enforcement officer.

Anthony Brown, 57, of Lakewood, was arrested Wednesday morning by special agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles. At his arraignment in U.S. District Court Wednesday afternoon, Brown pleaded not guilty to three counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

According to the indictment returned on September 21, Brown used MeWe, an internet-based messaging application, to distribute sexually explicit images of girls in November 2019 and April 2020.

From October 2019 through May 2020, Brown also knowingly possessed a sexually explicit image of a girl who had not yet reached the age of 12, the indictment alleges.

Brown was a Long Beach Police officer for 27 years. He left the force earlier this year after his arrest on state charges of possession and distribution of child pornography. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has dismissed those charges in light of the federal case.

At Wednesday’s arraignment, Brown was released on bond. A trial was scheduled for November 23.

If convicted of all charges, Brown would face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 80 years in federal prison.

HSI Los Angeles and the Long Beach Police Department investigated this matter.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California’s Public Corruption and Civil Rights and General Crimes Sections.

HSI is the principal investigative arm of DHS and a vital U.S. asset in combatting transnational crime and threats. One of HSI’s top priorities is to protect the public from crimes of victimization, and HSI’s child exploitation investigations program is a central component of this mission set. HSI is recognized as a global leader in this investigative discipline, and is committed to utilizing its vast authorities, international footprint and strong government and non-government partnerships to identify and rescue child victims, identify and apprehend offenders, prevent transnational child sexual abuse, and help make the internet a safer place for children.

HSI takes a victim-centered approach to child exploitation investigations by working to identify, rescue and stabilize victims. HSI works in partnership with NCMEC, ICAC partners, and other federal, state, and local agencies to help solve cases and rescue sexually exploited children. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to NCMEC’s toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST. HSI is a founding member of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.