Retired Capitol Police officer pleads guilty to child pornography charge

A retired veteran of the Capitol Police force pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a charge of distributing child pornography.

Former Capitol Police Sgt. Dennis Craig Bell, 55, was arrested in April after a four-month investigation, in conjunction with the FBI, that officials said uncovered he had been trafficking child pornography over the Internet. 

Authorities initially discovered Bell using a peer-to-peer network to distribute several files containing child pornography, according to an FBI statement released Wednesday.

The FBI said Bell told investigators he had researched child pornography terms at work and at home to see — as a police officer — how readily available the information was.

The FBI said its investigation also revealed that Bell has saved pornographic material of children on his computer and a portable memory card. Bell later said that “he liked viewing children of all age ranges and had downloaded child pornography at residences in Woodbridge and Fairfax, Va., as well as at work,” according to the FBI.

After thoroughly reviewing his computers, authorities reported finding 165 videos and 103 still images of child pornography.

Bell faces a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on Oct. 22. Bell served with the Capitol Police for 27 years, working in the department’s communications division, until he retired following his arrest.

Capitol Police declined to comment.

Four years ago, then Capitol Police Sgt. Michael Malloy was arrested and accused of enticing a girl under the age of 16 to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce child pornography. In 2008, Malloy was sentenced to 15 years in jail.