N.H. Cop Who Bragged He Was 'Officer Sexy' Accused of Having Images of Young Children Being Raped

A Seabrook, N.H., police officer is facing child sexual abuse charges for allegedly possessing and distributing explicit sexual content involving children.

Officer John Giarrusso III, 48, who lives in Haverhill, Mass., was arrested on Monday. He allegedly uploaded graphic videos and sent explicit text messages through the Kik app discussing sex abuse with children as young as seven, according to WMUR, which cited the Seabrook police’s  Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

He’s also accused of sending messages to Kik users who said they were underage, and he allegedly claimed he was known as “Officer Sexy” to the “girls in town,” according to the task force.

Giarrusso allegedly took part in explicit conversations on Kik about “arranging to have sex with [other Kik users’] wives, young daughters and stepdaughters,”according to a criminal complaint viewed by WCVB.

Some of the videos the officer is accused of uploading to the app allegedly portray young children being raped by adult perpetrators, WCVB reports.

Giarrusso is charged with felony counts of possession of child pornography, as well as distributing material of a child in the nude and disseminating obscene matter to a minor, per Boston.com. 

In his role as a police officer, the ICAC investigation allegedly found that Giarrusso had participated in fundraising for treatment programs for sexually abused children, according to reports.

On Monday, the officer pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and has since been placed on administrative leave from his job in Seabrook. 

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In a statement, the Seabrook police department wrote, “While the Seabrook Police Department adheres to the principle that those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty, given the nature of the accused crimes, the Department immediately placed Ofc. Giarrusso on administrative leave.”

The department stated that it would not comment further at this time and noted that “allegations of criminal conduct against a law enforcement officer are taken seriously and will be dealt with swiftly and appropriately.”

Giarrusso was released from jail after posting bail and is slated to return to court next month. PEOPLE was unable to reach his attorney for comment.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.