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A Phoenix police officer from Gilbert was arrested Friday in connection with a child pornography case, officials said.
Alaa Robert Bartley, 41, of Gilbert, was arrested on Friday in connection with receiving and possessing child sex abuse images, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona.
He was charged by federal criminal complaint Friday with one count of knowingly receiving child pornography and one count of knowingly possessing child pornography. Bartley is an officer with the Phoenix Police Department.
The complaint alleges that between August 2020 and February 2022 while living in Gilbert, Bartley used a social media platform to communicate with an adult woman, with the two expressing their sexual interest in children and the woman sending Bartley child pornography images, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The affidavit alleges that Bartley used a fictitious name, but identified himself as a police officer and sent a picture of himself that showed his face to her. The adult woman has been charged separately in the Eastern District of Michigan, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
A count of knowingly receiving child pornography carries a minimum mandatory sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to a lifetime of supervised release.
A count of knowingly possessing child pornography carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; if the offense involved a visual depiction of a prepubescent minor or minor who had not attained the age of 12, the offense carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to a lifetime of supervised release.
The FBI is conducting the investigation in this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
