Former New Mexico State Police officer faces child pornography charges
03/24/2022 2:08 pm PDT
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (TCD) -- A former New Mexico State Police officer was indicted by a grand jury last week on child pornography charges.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico, from March 4 to March 6, 2019, 27-year-old Ricky Romero reportedly "coerced a minor to produce child pornography and received videos and images of child pornography on his iPhone." The U.S. Attorney’s Office says Romero was with the New Mexico State Police Department at the time of the crime.
According to the New Mexico Department of Public Safety, Romero had been with the department since May 2017, and was stationed in Roswell. After an investigation, Romero was reportedly arrested by the Chaves County Sheriff’s Office on March 20, 2019. The Department of Public Safety says Romero was placed on administrative leave immediately after the New Mexico State Police Department learned about the investigation.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, a federal grand jury indicted Romero on March 16. He reportedly appeared in federal court on March 23 and was charged with coercion and enticement of a minor and receiving child pornography. The U.S. Attorney’s Office says Romero faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison if convicted.
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