CLEVELAND (WJW) — A man authorities say distributed child pornography, including an explicit image of a child believed to be younger than 12, was a Cleveland police officer when the offenses occurred.

A federal indictment, unsealed Friday, charges Brandon N. Crites, 32, of Parma, with a count of receipt and distribution of visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and a count of possession of child pornography.

Crites is alleged to have sent and received “numerous computer files” between Aug. 17, 2022, and Aug. 22, 2023, according to the indictment. Then on Sept. 5, Crites was found to be in possession of a laptop and hard drives containing child pornography, including an image of a prepubescent child, according to the indictment.

At the time, Crites was employed as a patrolman with the Cleveland Division of Police, according to a Monday news release from Ohio’s Northern District U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko.

The city police department learned of the investigation into Crites in September, according to a statement emailed Monday to FOX 8 News. He was immediately put on “restricted duty assignments” and had no public contact, reads the statement.

After an arrest warrant was issued on Friday, Oct. 20, the city police department’s Internal Affairs Unit arrested Crites and turned him over to the FBI.

He was arraigned that day and pleaded not guilty. He’s due back in court for a detention hearing on Friday, Oct. 27, court records show.

Crites has been “relieved from duty” and will remain suspended without pay until his criminal case is resolved, according to city police.

Crites first joined the police division in January 2019. He was most recently assigned to the Second District.