Former Long Beach police officer sentenced to nearly 6 years for distributing child porn while on duty

A former Long Beach police officer was sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison for distributing child pornography while he was on duty, according to the Department of Justice.

Anthony Brown, 57, of Island, Kentucky, was sentenced Monday to 70 months in federal prison and ordered to pay a fine of $15,000. U.S. District Judge Virginia A. Phillips also ordered the former Lakewood resident to be placed on lifetime supervised release once he is released from prison.

Brown had pleaded guilty on March 21 to one count of distribution of child pornography.

Prosecutors say Brown posed as his wife on a messaging application called MeWe between October 2019 and May of 2020 to engage in graphic sex chats, and discussed nonexistent minor female relatives to participate in group sex acts. While he was on duty as a Long Beach Police officer, Brown distributed images of teenage and prepubescent girls engaged in sexually explicit conduct, according to federal officials.

In a statement, MeWe said Brown was removed from its service and their team reported him to authorities. A Long Beach police detective called Brown on May 27, 2020 and told him an accounted linked to his phone number had been used to upload child pornography, according to federal prosecutors. The 27-year Long Beach police veteran left the force in 2021 after his arrest.