DC police officer facing child sex abuse charges after Harford sting

A D.C. police officer was ordered held without bond until his next appearance in court on child sex abuse charges.

Lt. Matthew Mahl was arrested in Harford County, Maryland, Tuesday on charges of solicitation of sex from a minor and solicitation of child pornography. He has been with the Metropolitan Police Department for 23 years, most recently assigned to special operations, and 10 years ago became the first openly gay chairman of the police union.

According to charging documents, Mahl met who he thought was a 15-year-old boy on reddit and began a sexually explicit series of text exchanges that lasted for several weeks during which time Mahl allegedly sent sexually explicit pictures of himself to who he thought was the boy. In fact, it was a Harford County sheriff’s deputy.

Mahl provided his real name during their text exchanges, including revealing he is a D.C. police lieutenant who worked on the presidential escorts, court documents say. He allegedly sent a picture of himself in uniform and sexually explicit pictures of himself in his police office.

Mahl discussed the 15-year-old’s age and texted him he could lose everything if caught, court documents say. He requested sexually graphic photos and arranged to meet him after school this week.

When Mahl showed up for what prosecutors say he thought was to be a sexual encounter with a 15-year-old boy, he was taken into custody, police said.

D.C. police issued a statement Tuesday, saying, “The allegations in this case are extremely disturbing, and in direct contrast to the values of by the Metropolitan Police Department. MPD’s Internal Affairs Division will investigate violations of MPD policy once the criminal investigation concludes. MPD is not involved in the criminal investigation and was not aware of the investigation until today.”

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser weighed in Wednesday.

“We don’t have any knowledge of any accusation or any investigation involving the District, his employment or any of our children, and I don’t really know what else to say,” she said. “We don’t want anybody like that on our force if those allegations are true.”

During Mahl’s court appearance Wednesday, a judge found probable cause to move the case forward and ordered Mahl be held without bond until his preliminary hearing scheduled for next month.