CARLSBAD, N.M. (KRQE) – A veteran state police officer out of Carlsbad is now in federal custody, accused of possessing child porn. A newly filed criminal complaint accuses 44-year-old Sergeant Sam Clouthier of possessing and transferring child pornography, through the use of an internet cloud storage account.
Federal investigators started looking into the State Police sergeant in April after a tip was sent to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Clouthier’s Verizon cloud account was flagged for having a photo depicting child sex abuse. A search warrant for the account revealed a total of 34 files.
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In an interview with investigators, Clouthier reportedly said he “has been struggling through cycles of downloading and deleting images of young girls for a long time.” Prosecutors filings said a LinkedIn page for Clouthier indicates the 18-year officer is also a “high school basketball official with the NMAA.”
In a statement, State Police Chief Troy Weisler said he’s “disgusted” by the allegations and said the accusations “do not in any way define the values, integrity, and dedication of the New Mexico State Police.”
Clouthier was arrested by the feds Thursday and is now on administrative leave. He’ll face a judge again on July 28.
