WEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A Miami-Dade Police officer is on suicide watch in jail a day after his home was raided for child pornography by his own department, leading to his arrest.
An officer with the Miami-Dade Department of Corrections said 33-year-old David Jay Behney threatened to kill himself at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in West Miami-Dade after he posted bond, Friday.
Thursday morning, police were at the suspect’s home, located along 129th Court and Eureka Drive in Southwest Miami-Dade.
7News cameras captured police officers outside Behney’s home as they conducted a raid after investigators allegedly traced child pornography to the officer’s home.
7SkyForce captured chunks of the door frame on the ground, pointing to a sudden and forceful entry.
Behney’s arrest report reveals disturbing details about the investigation. It stated MDPD received a tip back in November that child pornography was being uploaded and linked to an IP address in his home.
The report states, “The video depicted 11 different prepubescent females that appeared to be under 13 years of age.”
When detectives searched Behney’s cellphone, they found even more videos of children.
Friday morning, Behney made his first court appearance following his arrest on Friday. He faces 19 counts of possession of child pornography.
At one point during the hearing, Behney indicated he wanted to speak, but his attorney quickly advised otherwise.
“Mr. Behney, please don’t make any statements,” said his attorney.
Behney has been a police officer in the Hammocks District of West Kendall for several years. According to his Facebook page, he has been with the department since 2016. A picture posted to his page showed him on the day he received his badge.
The department is working with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office in what’s being described as a criminal probe, and the officer was questioned.
At a news conference held Friday, Miami-Dade Police Director George A. Perez addressed Behney’s arrest.
“It’s very disturbing. It quite frankly sickens me that anybody would engage in that kind of behavior,” he said. “It sickens me further that an individual of this cloth, that represents a legacy in Miami-Dade County, unfortunately has engaged in that behavior.”
Behney has been barred from seeing any minors, including his own children. His attorney said he has three children.
Behney will also be required to surrender his passport and is prohibited from using the internet for anything other than court matters.
Police said the officer has been relieved of duty with pay, but on Friday afternoon, department officials said they have initiated the process to remove his pay.
“I will faithfully uphold my constitutional responsibilities to the state of Florida and its laws, and if that means that we arrest one of our own, that’s exactly what we’re going to do,” said Perez.
Behney was being held on $95,000 bond, $5,000 for each count of child pornography possession. He posted bond and was expected to be released from jail on Friday evening, but a corrections officer said he threatened to take his own life and was placed on suicide watch.
The corrections officer said they have called a doctor to evaluate Behney.
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