Crime & Safety

Farmington Hills Cop Faces Multiple Child Porn Charges

Authorities acted on a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

FARMINGTON HILLS, MI – Acting on a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette’s office charged a Farmington Hills police officer with multiple charges after 10 sexually explicit videos were discovered on his computer, according to a news release.

Matthew Parsons, 48, of Waterford, has been placed on administrative leave by the Farmington Hills Police Department, Schuette said.

Parsons was arraigned Saturday and his bond was set at $300,000. On Monday, he remained in the Oakland County Jail on the following charges:

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  • Five counts of possession of child sexually abusive material;
  • Five charges of using a computer to commit a crime; and
  • Three counts of illegally recording an individual.

“It is our responsibility to secure justice for Michigan’s children, our most vulnerable victims, by prosecuting predators who exploit children,” Schuette said in the news release. “The children in these disturbing images were abused again and again by the predators that download and trade their image.”

Schuette’s office was assisted by Farmington Hills Police Chief Charles Nebus and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in this case.

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The investigation began following a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an individual had been downloading child sexually abusive material. Following an investigation by Schuette’s team, the individual alleged to have been downloading the images was identified as Parsons.

It is alleged that Parsons had downloaded at least 10 videos of child sexually abusive material.

Parsons also allegedly surreptitiously filmed an adult in the nude.

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