— A former Pennsville Police officer recently admitted to destroying a computer hard drive while under investigation by the FBI on charges of allegedly possessing child pornography, authorities said.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office,

Robert Waterman

, 31, of Wrightstown, pleaded guilty on Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Robert Kugler to

for destroying the hard drive.

According to authorities, on March 4, 2010, the FBI began a criminal investigation of Waterman — then a Pennsville police officer and school resource officer with the Pennsville Township School District — after allegations surfaced that he may have possessed child pornography.

According to court documents, FBI agents interviewed Waterman that day, advising him of the nature of the investigation.

Waterman admitted that following his interview with the FBI, he located a computer hard drive that was in his garage and placed it in his patrol car.

According to court records, Waterman admitted that “he then broke apart the hard drive’s green printed circuit board into small pieces while in his patrol car at the police department” in order to obstruct the FBI’s investigation.

Waterman had been a patrolman with the Pennsville Police Department for four years before the allegations surfaced.

He also served as the school resource officer for Pennsville in 2010, where he handled the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program for middle school and elementary school students, and acted as a liaison between the school district and police department.

Waterman was immediately suspended from his position with the department after the allegations surfaced. He was permitted to resign from his position with the department in March 2011.

The obstruction count to which Waterman pleaded guilty is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for April 18.

Waterman remains released on a personal recognizance bond of $100,000.

U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman credited special agents of the FBI with the investigation that led to Tuesday’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office and the Pennsville Police Department for their cooperation and assistance with the investigation.

Contact Michael Williams at 856-935-1500 or michaelwilliams@southjerseymedia.com

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