By Steve Neavling
A U.S. Border Patrol agent living in Arizona’s East Valley is facing 10 felony charges after investigators say he downloaded and shared child pornography from his home, according to court records.
The agent, identified in court documents as 40-year-old Jason Michael Drown, was arrested April 8 following a months-long investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations and the Gilbert Police Department.
Investigators said they began tracking illegal activity through peer-to-peer file-sharing software in November and traced a download of suspected child pornography to a device linked to Drown’s home. Authorities later searched the home and seized a Dell desktop computer.
During a post-Miranda interview, Drown denied distributing child pornography, according to court records. When investigators pointed to images allegedly found on his computer, he responded “okay?” and asked for a lawyer. Several of his other devices are still being analyzed.
Drown was booked into the Maricopa County jail and is being held on $150,000 bond.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed an agent had been arrested but did not name him. The agency said the case is being reviewed by its Office of Professional Responsibility.
“CBP stresses honor and integrity in every aspect of our mission,” the agency said in a statement. “An arrest is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”
