Long Beach police arrested a Los Angeles Police Department officer for allegedly possessing and sharing images online of children being sexually abused, the department announced Wednesday.
Long Beach detectives identified 52-year-old James Diamond following an investigation sparked by a tip that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sent to the LBPD’s Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce in October, according to a press release.
Diamond was taken into custody Wednesday morning on the 5000 block of Bolsa Avenue in Huntington Beach, the department said. Search warrants were served for Diamond’s Long Beach home and workplace in LA.
Diamond was booked on suspicion of felony counts of possession of child pornography and two felony counts of distribution of obscene matter depicting a minor, authorities said. Bail was set at $100,000.
The arrest comes less than two months after the LA County District Attorney filed four similar felonies against now-former LBPD officer Anthony Mark Brown. Brown was arrested on Feb. 10 and has since retired from the force with his full pension
The LAPD has been notified of Diamond’s arrest and the department will conduct an administrative investigation, according to the LBPD.
Anyone with any information regarding the investigation is urged to contact LBPD Computer Crimes Detectives Julie Lacey or Laurie Barajas at 562-570-7223. Anonymous tips may be submitted by calling 800-222-TIPS or visiting LACrimeStoppers.org.