A former LA County sheriff's deputy, who has been under investigation since April, was arrested Wednesday on charges of distributing child pornography over the Internet.

Authorities from LAPD's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force took Lorne Reed, 32, into custody at his home in Santa Fe Springs, California. His two kids are now in the custody of the county's Department of Children and Family Services, according to a news release. Reed, who had retired from his duties in February 2013, was apparently caught off guard by the police and arrested in his underwear, Fox affiliate KTTV reports.

Officers involved in the investigation said they identified Reed's "particular location as a place where child porn was being downloaded," according to KTTV.

Officer Maurice Kwon, who was part of the raid on Reed's home on Wednesday, also told the outlet: "We found numerous images of child sexual exploitation." KTTV noted "the images were heartbreaking. Men sexually abusing girls as young as five."