LOS ANGELES – A firefighter pleaded no contest Friday to possessing child pornography while he was at work at a Los Angeles County Fire Department station.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Deborah S. Brazil ordered Matthew David Winters, 51, to complete 60 days of community labor and five years probation, attend one year of sex offender treatment and register as a sex offender for life following his plea to the felony charge, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
He was also barred from possessing any pornography or having any unsupervised contact with minors except for family members.
The judge — who set a March 6 progress report hearing — suspended a 16-month state prison term that Winters will not have to serve if he complies with the terms of his probation.
Winters was found to have been in possession of child pornography on a computer at a fire station in El Monte on or between December 2017 and May 2018, according to Deputy District Attorney Teresa de Castro.
When the case was filed against Winters last year, a county fire inspector declined to discuss Winters’ status with the department or to address the charges, citing “the sensitive nature” of the case.
His current status with the department was not immediately clear.
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Fire Brigade says
“Winters was found to have been in possession of child pornography on a computer at a fire station in El Monte…”
LAC tax dollars at work…
Freedman says
He may have been investigating missing and exploited children trying to find them, but his good intentions in the review of evidence were misinterpreted.
Karen says
just another example of weirdos hiding behind positions where people think they are safe….. child porn, some destroying a neighbors soul calling her a whore..etc having his family members a friend deface her with words and bullying…trying to make a neighbor feel so low she wants to die with awful slander while so many are working as genuine first responders. Hang in there all you good ladies and gentlemen behind first responder jobs. Weed out the bad so the good guys who are good can continue a job most could never handle. I love all the genuine good ones
Grandma says
Pig! Take away his pay or any benefits. How did he get away with possessing porn on a fire stations computer? He should rot in jail !!!!
Megan says
I’m sure those firefighters want to save you now from a burning building, Grandma the Granny O’graton.