San Francisco police officer Joshua Enea was arrested Wednesday on child pornography charges out of Contra Costa County, according to the police department.

Investigators say a months-long investigation revealed Enea, 37, had multiple images of child pornography on his home computer in Antioch.

"It's very troubling a sworn police officer would have any of this stuff on his computer," said Paul Graves, a senior deputy district attorney for Contra Costa County.



The 10-year veteran of the force was taken into custody on suspicion of felony possession of child pornography.

"Everybody who has an image or picture taken of them is an exploited youth," Graves said. "When that image circulates throughout the Internet, that's troubling."

Police said they learned that Enea might be in possession of child pornography in February, and removed him from direct contact with the public while the case was investigated.

"I'm glad (the San Francisco Police Department) conducted a thorough investigation so we can make sure he's not on the street or having any contact with children," Graves added.

Enea is currently suspended without pay. He was booked into San Francisco jail Wednesday afternoon with bail set at $100,000. The San Francisco Sheriff's Office said Enea was released from jail late Wednesday.

According to Transparent California, Enea's total pay and benefits with the department totaled $191,104.84 in 2016.

The San Francisco Police Department released a statement Wednesday, saying, "The public's trust is of the utmost importance to the members of the SFPD. The Department will continue to work hard with the community to build and maintain this trust."

Police said they worked with the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office to file charges in the case.

"We stand with the Department in its duty to thoroughly investigate individuals suspected of committing crimes and offenses in every segment of our community, including by a suspect who is a member of the SFPD," said Julius Turman, president of the San Francisco Police Commission.

Turman said the the commission will "stand by any appropriate administrative action at the conclusion of the investigation."

"This is a very serious allegation of a crime," he continued. "The Police Commission will ensure that our officers uphold and obey the law and that all persons, including officers, are afforded their constitutional rights and privileges, the same as any other suspect."

Meanwhile, Enea's arrest suprised his East Bay neighbors, who said that he is married to a dispatcher and has two children.

"I did feel safe knowing there's a cop behind me," said neighbor Maria Avalos. "I never in a million years thought something like that would happen in my neighborhood."

Enea has made headlines twice before.

In 2010, he was reportedly bit by a graffiti artist who was accused of hate crimes. And in 2015 he appeared in a story about a program in which volunteers drink in front of police to help them learn how to identify intoxicated drivers.



Anyone who thinks they may have had suspicious contact with Enea is asked to call Internal Affairs investigators at 415-882-8420.