A sergeant in the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department is facing charges and 16 felonies on suspicion of child pornogpraphy possession and publication. Marc Goodwin, 43, was arrested on Thursday based on crimes he committed between August 2012 to June 2021.
According to CBS Los Angeles, members of Fontana police’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit arrested Goodwin after they were alerted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about alleged child pornography images that were electronically transmitted by the sergeant.
Police officers were able to obtain a search warrant and seized several electronic devices in the suspect’s home. The devices will be analyzed to serve as further evidence of child pornography activities of the accused.
In their press release, Fontana police stated that Goodwin transmitted the pornographic images utilizing the email loweredforlife@yahoo.com and asked anyone who receives any such images under this email should contact the police. The Fontana Police Department referred to Goodwin as an “internet predator”.
Goodwin’s charging documents allege that he exhibited or published material depicting child sexual content at least 10 separate times from August to October 2012, then once in November 2014, twice in January 2017, and once in May of 2021.
The charges of possession of child pornography and possession of sadomasochistic child pornography were said to have been committed from around June 8 through June 24, 2021.
California law prohibits the possession, distribution, and production of any material “which involves the use of a person under 18 years of age, knowing that the matter depicts a person under 18 years of age personally engaging in or simulating sexual conduct.”
The state defines “sexual sadism” as “the intentional infliction of pain for purposes of sexual gratification or stimulation,” and “sexual masochism” as “intentionally experiencing pain for purposes of sexual gratification or stimulation.”
Sheriff John McMahon also said in a statement that Goodwin was no longer employed by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. The shamed sergeant had been employed with the department since 2005 and was last assigned to the Gangs/Narcotics Division.
According to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, Goodwin's charges are punishable by approximately 15 years in prison. Goodwin was taken into custody on June 24, and was released on bail on June 29. No future court dates appear to have been set.
