Montco Sheriff Responds To Deputy's Child Porn Charges

NORRISTOWN, PA — The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office has issued a public response in the wake of one of their deputies being charged with child porn offenses Wednesday morning.

James Christopher Buckley, 57, of Gilbertsville, faces counts of both possessing and distributing child porn. He's been suspended from duty until the case is resolved.

Sheriff Sean Kilkenny said his office was made aware of the charges on Feb. 20, the day before Buckley was arrested at his Wildwood, New Jersey vacation home.

See previous coverage: Montco Sheriff's Deputy Busted For Child Porn At Jersey Shore: Police

"As an agency committed to upholding the law and maintaining the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability, we take these allegations extremely seriously," Kilkenny said. "The conduct outlined in these charges is antithetical to the values and principles of our agency and an affront to the public’s trust. We remain steadfast in our commitment to serving and protecting the residents of Montgomery County."

Kilkenny added that the sheriff's office is "cooperating fully." They are performing a full internal review in light of the incident.

He declined to comment further or elaborate on specifics of the case as the investigation into Buckley remains ongoing.

Authorities said the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a tip about an individual, who turned out to be Buckley, who was sharing the images online, police said.

Police then traced the IP address to Buckley's vacation home at the Jersey Shore in Wildwood.

Buckley was hired by the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office as a deputy in 2014. He began pursuing a bachelor's degree in criminal science at East Stroudsburg University when he was hired.

He has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience.

Buckley was booked at Cape May County Correctional Facility on unknown bail as he awaits his preliminary hearing. He faces five to 10 years in New Jersey state prison if convicted.