Juan Herrera
WMAL News
WASHINGTON – An Anne Arundel County police officer was arrested Friday and charged with the sexual solicitation of a minor and possession of child pornography.
According to a press release from the Anne Arundel County Police Department, child abuse detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Zachary Steven Koshlap, 33, following an investigation that started on March 23.
On Friday he was arrested without incident near his home in Glen Burnie, Maryland. Koshlap, a six-year veteran of the department’s patrol bureau, faces ten counts of possession of child pornography and one count of sexual solicitation of a minor.
He is also currently suspended without pay.
According to the release, the FBI had previously contacted the Anne Arundel County Child Abuse Unit about a member of an FBI Task Force who was working undercover and had received a message from an unknown user who solicited a sexual encounter with a child.
Police later found out that the unknown user was Koshlap. They later obtained a search warrant and seized multiple devices and other evidence from his home. Police said
According to the release, Koshlap was interviewed at the time of the search warrant and also admitted to taking part in the conversation about the child.
Police said detectives also recovered evidence as well as apparent child pornography from the devices they seized from Koshlap.
“If someone wearing a badge betrays our oath of protection, we will do everything within our power to bring them to justice and make sure they never wear our uniform again,” Anne Arundel County Police Chief Timothy J. Altomare said. “I am heart sick, physically ill, disgusted and enraged at the actions alleged in this case.”
Copyright 2020 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. Photo: Anne Arundel County Police Department
