A Maryland police officer was arrested on a charge of possessing child pornography after authorities tracked him to his National Guard job at a mass vaccination site, officials said Saturday.
Rockville police Officer Daniel Joseph Morozewicz, who is also a corporal with the Maryland National Guard, is suspected of having “downloads containing images and videos of nude pre-pubescent females engaged in sexually explicit conduct” and was the subject of a federal search warrant issued last month, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
As part of a joint investigation with the Department of Homeland Security’s Baltimore field office, the sheriff’s office said it monitored the officer’s actions between Sept. 8 and Dec. 30, which led authorities to ask for the warrant.
On Friday morning, Morozewicz was detained at Six Flags America amusement park, where he was working at the vaccination site as part of his service for the National Guard. After a search of his residence, he was arrested, the sheriff’s office said.
He was booked into the Frederick County Adult Detention Center but “bonded out,” the office said.
Though Morozewicz is a Rockville officer, he had been suspended “for an unrelated matter” at the time of his arrest, sheriff’s officials said.
The Montgomery County Fraternal Order of Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Court records which indicate Morozewicz declined the services of a public defender, but it’s not clear if he has retained a private lawyer.
The Maryland National Guard said the officer was assigned to 1st Battalion of the 175th Infantry Regiment in support of the state’s Covid-19 response. A member since early 2015, Morozewicz was removed from active duty as a result of the allegations, Maj. Kurt M. Rauschenberg, Maryland National Guard spokesperson, said by email.
“The Maryland National Guard takes these situations seriously and will cooperate with law enforcement agencies as needed,” he said.
The investigation into Morozewicz was ongoing, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office said.
