Bonds total $30K for local officer indicted for child porn possession

A Temple police officer who was jailed after a grand jury indicted him for possession of child pornography, invasive recording, and indecency with a child has been released from jail after posting bonds totaling $115,000.

Cpl. Brandon Mathiews, 38, a 14-year veteran, was arrested on March 6 after the grand jury handed up indictments earlier in the day charging six counts of possession of child pornography, one count of invasive visual recording stemming from an incident involving a 16-year-old photographed in a bathroom and one count of indecency with a child involving a 14-year-old, according to grand jury documents.

He posted bond on March 9.

The allegations were brought to the Temple Police Department’s attention on Nov. 17, 2018, spokeswoman Ellen Morton said.

“Upon receiving the initial allegations…Chief Lloyd Mitchell requested the immediate notification and assistance of the Department of Public Safety’s Texas Rangers to serve as the lead agency in the criminal investigation,” she said.

Mathiews was placed on paid leave during the investigation and on Nov. 21 declined, at the chief’s request, to resign, she said.

Mathiews remained on paid leave until March 6 when his leave status was changed to unpaid investigative leave.

“He will remain on unpaid investigative leave pending the outcome of the internal investigation’s disciplinary process or the final disposition of the criminal case,” Morton said.

Mathiews was assigned to the department’s Criminal Investigations Unit, Crime Scene and Evidence Unit.