SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A former San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputy was arrested for possession of child pornography.
According to San Diego Police, the former deputy, identified by the sheriff’s department as Jose Soto, was arrested for possession of child pornography and possession of an assault weapon.
Police said they were conducting an investigation and, while executing a court-approved search warrant, they discovered the evidence.
The sheriff’s department said Soto is a former part-time employee. He began his employment with the department in 1988 as a Detentions and Court Services Deputy before retiring in 2022.
He was then hired in a part-time capacity in September of 2022 before being released on May 2 of this year.
During his latter tenure, Soto was assigned to the South Bay Courthouse.
“The Sheriff is deeply disappointed and frustrated in the arrest of the former employee,” the department said.
“The Sheriff knows any arrest of a deputy or former deputy casts a negative shadow on the department. We would also like to point out we understand the vast majority of deputies come to work every day and promote the mission of the Sheriff's Department and ensure the safety of the public. It is very unfortunate the hard work of so many is overshadowed by an incident such as this.”
The San Diego Police Department is conducting the investigation into Soto.
