A former San Diego County Sheriff’s deputy Jose Apolonio Soto Jr. pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to felony charges of child pornography and assault weapon possession.
The 51-year-old former deputy worked for the sheriff’s department for nearly 25 years before he was arrested last week by San Diego Police at his Chula Vista home. According to San Diego Police, he remains out of custody on a $25,000 bail following his arraignment on Tuesday.
He was ordered to surrender his passport due to a “recent international travel” described by a prosecutor, and any firearms he owns. According to Deputy District Attorney Carder Chan, investigators found “at least one matter depicting what he believes is child pornography, minors engaging in sexual conduct” during the search, which stemmed from an undisclosed report.
According to the prosecutor, the assault weapon charge stems from one firearm found by investigators.
In a statement, Sheriff Kelly Martinez said she felt “deeply disappointed and frustrated" by the allegations against Soto. According to Sheriff’s officials, Soto began working for the department in March 1998 as a detentions and court services deputy. After his retirement last January, he was re-hired in September on a part-time basis.
“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," the statement added. “It is very unfortunate the hard work of so many is overshadowed by an incident such as this."
