Child Pornography Charges: Lafayette Man, Oakland Fire Captain Arrested

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA - A Lafayette man, 58-year-old Richard Chew, has been arrested and charged with possession of child pornography, a spokeswoman for the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office said.

Chew is a captain for the Oakland Fire Department. He is being held at the county jail in Martinez in lieu of $200,000 bail, according to the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office.

Oakland Fire Department Interim Chief Darin White said today that he is "appalled by the disturbing nature" of the charges.

"When we learned of the investigation, I immediately placed the employee in question on administrative leave," White said. "If the allegations are true, this criminal behavior violates our community's standard of decency and breaches the standard of conduct we uphold in the Oakland Fire Department."

>>Also See: Please Don't Help My Kids

District attorney's office spokeswoman Bobbi Mauler said the two charges against Chew are possession of child pornography and possession of more than 600 images of child and youth pornography.

Sheriff's officials said that on Aug. 19, the Contra Costa Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force launched an investigation into Chew.

During the investigation, a search warrant was served on Chew's home on Harper Court in Lafayette and his work location. Child pornography was found on Chew's computer and other storage devices, according to the
sheriff's office.

>>Also See: California Has 21 Of America's Fastest-Growing Companies, And Most Are Hiring

In 2009, the Oakland City Council honored Chew and other firefighters for their swift water rescue at a fatal traffic accident scene at Hegenberger Road and Hamilton Street on Nov. 1, 2008. The resolution approved by the council praised Chew and the other firefighters for "their bravery, professionalism and undeniable commitment to the citizens of Oakland."

— Bay City News contributed to this report; Image by Renee Schiavone, Patch

Also See:

• Harvey Relief: Food Shipments From San Francisco
• Californians For Texans: New Tax Deductible Fund
• Hurricane Irma: PG&E Crews To Restore Florida Power