A Massachusetts man who was arrested last month on suspicion of having child pornography recently resigned as a police dispatcher for the town of Lincoln, the department's chief said Wednesday.
Spencer Hughes, of Randolph, resigned from the Lincoln Police Department on Oct. 30, just over two weeks after his arrest, police said. His resignation came after the town moved toward a termination hearing for him.
"The facts surrounding the alleged crime are extremely concerning and shocked all members of the department," Lincoln police Chief A. Kevin Kennedy said in a statement.
Hughes was arrested on Oct. 13 and charged with receiving and possessing pornographic images and videos of a person under 18 years of age by federal prosecutors.
Prosecutors said authorities found an external hard drive that contained numerous pornographic images and videos of a 10- or 11-year-old girl. It wasn't clear if Hughes had an attorney.
After the arrest, Lincoln police conducted an internal investigation, Kennedy said, examining all of the dispatch computers with the help of the town’s IT director and an independent computer consultant.
The investigation showed no evidence the town’s computers were used to perform inappropriate or criminal behavior, he said.
Hughes resigned Oct. 30. Kennedy said that he was put through a thorough background check before being hired.
"There were no indications of conduct or behaviors that would have cast any doubt on Dispatcher Hughes’ ability to carry out his duties as a public safety dispatcher," he said.
