Judge postpones plea hearing for former St. Pete officer in child porn case
Images show former officer Matthew Enhoffer
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A decorated former police officer is facing years in prison and was expected to plead guilty to child porn charges Tuesday morning, but the hearing was delayed.
Matthew Enhoffer was arrested in September after a tip came into the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a user under the name of “thehoff727” had uploaded two images of child pornography. The computer that was used was traced to Enhoffer’s home in St. Petersburg.
Federal agents said they uncovered nearly 400 pornographic images and videos in his home showing young children on various electronic devices.
Enhoffer resigned before he could be fired from the St. Petersburg Police Department where he had served for nearly 7 years.
When Chief Anthony Holloway announced the arrest of Enhoffer, he was clearly emotional.
“When a police officer takes an oath, he or she takes the oath that they are going to protect the citizens out there, especially our youth,” he said at the time. “Today, Officer Enhoffer tarnished our badge.”
In 2015, Enhoffer was awarded the Medal of Valor after he protected another officer who was shot.
As of Tuesday morning, Enhoffer remained out on bond, but could soon end up in custody.
He is scheduled to plead guilty to two of the three counts for possession and distribution of child pornography. In exchange, a third child pornography count has been dropped from the charges. A federal judge will sentence him after the plea next week.
He face anywhere between five to 40 years in prison, up to a half-million dollars in fines and will have to register as a sex offender.