Former St. Pete police officer pleads guilty to child pornography charges
Images show former officer Matthew Enhoffer
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A former St. Petersburg police officer has pleaded guilty to child pornography charges.
Ex-officer Matthew Enhoffer appeared in federal court Tuesday morning to plead guilty to possession and distribution of child pornography.
Enhoffer had been arrested back in September 2019 by Homeland Security agents after a months-long investigation.
An unspecified web application submitted a tip to a law enforcement hotline in July 2019, reporting two suspected images of exploited children had been uploaded to the app.
Agents obtained a search warrant for Enhoffer's home and seized a MacBook that contained several images of child pornography, as well as messages with an unidentified person discussing the photos.
Following Enhoffer's arrest, St. Pete Police Chief Anthony Holloway said the disgraced cop "tarnished our badge."
"When a police officer takes the oath, he or she takes the oath that they are going to protect the citizens out there, especially our youth," Holloway said. "We're talking about kids here, and if this allegation is true, I don't want him here."
Enhoffer resigned from the police department following his arrest in September.
Each charge carries a maximum of 20 years in prison, while the distribution charge carries a minimum 5-year sentence. A sentencing date has not yet been set.