A North Carolina police officer is facing multiple child pornography charges after state agents searched his Craven County home.
Jason Lovick, 31, of Vanceboro, was arrested Wednesday and charged with eight counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. Lovick was a police officer with the Grifton Police Department, but was fired minutes after his arrest. Lovick had only worked three weeks at the department. He was hired in January 2019.
Last week another North Carolina cop killed himself after facing child sex crime accusations.
The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation said it received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about a Facebook account connected to Lovick that reportedly sent images of child sexual exploitation. Agents took Lovick’s cell phone and other electronics, and they discovered photos of minors engaged in sexual activity.
Lovick possessed material from October 2018 to present that depicted at least six children. Arrest warrants say that Lovick “willfully and feloniously did distribute, receive and exchange digital image material” involving at least six minors, ages ranging from 11 to 17 years old, from late October 2018 to Feb. 6, 2019.
Grifton Police Chief Brian Silva says:
“Jason Lovick is no longer employed here. He only worked here for about three and a half weeks. He started in early January.”
Upon Lovick’s arrest he was given an $80,000 secured bond and then bonded out. Warrants state Lovick is not allowed to communicate directly or indirectly with the victims. Lovick was also ordered to stay away from the home, temporary residence, school, business and place of employment of the alleged victims, WITN News reports.
Lovick was formerly a deputy with the Craven County Sheriff’s Office and a Lenoir County law enforcement officer.
Lovick is married and a father of three kids.