COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A former Cobb County Police Department officer is facing 20 new criminal charges after a grand jury indictment accused him of possessing sexually explicit images of children and engaging in graphic communications involving minors.
Matthew Abbott, a former Cobb County police officer, was indicted on more than 20 charges, including 14 counts of sexual exploitation of children, according to the indictment.
Prosecutors allege Abbott committed the crimes over a two-year period while employed as a police officer.
According to the indictment, Abbott possessed numerous sexually explicit photos and videos involving children. Prosecutors also allege he sent messages describing incest and other sexual acts too graphic to report.
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The indictment marks the latest development in a case that began last year when the Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested Abbott on multiple charges.
At the time, GBI investigators alleged Abbott distributed obscene material while on duty at a Cobb County police precinct. Authorities said the material included sexually explicit messages about children between 8 and 12 years old.
Investigators also previously accused Abbott of exposing himself in the parking lot of an elementary school and performing a sex act on himself in a church parking lot.
“I thought he was a nice person. I didn’t know that was going on,” one of Abbott’s neighbors told Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell following his arrest last year.
According to the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, Abbott resigned in lieu of termination after the allegations surfaced.
Court records show Abbott remains out of jail on bond and is required to wear an ankle monitor while the case moves forward.
As with all criminal cases, the charges are allegations, and Abbott is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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