Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has arrested and charged one of its own officers with eight counts of felony sexual offense and 20 counts of felony indecent liberties with a minor dating back to 2010.
Officer Matthew Porter, 54, was arrested at this home Tuesday morning and released later in the day on $10,000 bond. A CMPD spokesman said he is on unpaid administrative leave. Porter has worked at CMPD since 1995 and has been a helicopter pilot with the department's aviation unit since 1997. He is expected in court Wednesday.
Deputy Chief Katrina Graue, who oversees investigations, said the alleged assaults happened between 2010 and 2013, when the victim was 10 and 11 years old. She is now 17 and lives in Nevada.
CMPD learned of the allegations after being contacted Feb. 8 by the Nye County Sheriff's Office.
"As soon as we became aware we conducted an investigation, sent detectives to Nevada and have today made an arrest," Graue told reporters at CMPD headquarters Tuesday afternoon. "So it's something that we take very seriously and not something that we tolerate as an organization."
In a statement, CMPD chief Kerr Putney said he was disappointed.
“We represent the law and absolutely will not tolerate one of our own violating it,” Putney said. “It’s our job to protect this community. We have no place in our ranks for anyone who would violate the trust of a child in this manner.”
Graue said the victim described Porter as a family friend. The charges encompass eight separate incidents between July 2010 and December 2013 when she lived in Charlotte. Graue said all the incidents happened while Porter was off duty.
Graue said CMPD is not aware of any other incidents involving Porter.
