WATERFORD, Mich. -- A former Oakland County Sheriff's Department deputy is accused of possessing pornographic videos of infants.

Video

Prosecutor's Office Describes Alleged Porn

John Gomez (pictured, left), 43, was arraigned on 20 counts of child pornography possession Friday at the 51st District Court in Waterford, Local 4 reported. The charges include distributing or promoting child sexually abusive activity, possessing child sexually abusive material and using computers to commit a crime, according to Waterford police.

The 17-year veteran road patrol officer resigned Jan. 2, five days after personal computer equipment was confiscated from his Waterford Township home, according to a report in The Daily Oakland Press of Pontiac.

Two computers and various other equipment may contain at least 1,000 pornographic images involving children, Waterford police Detective Sgt. Frank Mostek said in a previous report.

"There are images. There are videos of adult men having intercourse with young children," Matthew Roth of the Oakland County prosecutor's office said. "These videos have not only the visual image, but the audio as well."

Roth said the children are believed to be between the ages of 6 months and 1 year old, and maybe even younger.

Local police were alerted about the alleged exchange of pornographic images by investigators from Orange County, Calif., who had traced the exchanges to New York and Michigan. Several other states also are believed to be involved.

The former deputy's attorney, Jerome Sabbota, said his client "chose to resign so his employment record would remain perfect the way it's always been."

Gomez's attorney entered a not-guilty plea for his client Friday and said he has yet to see the alleged photographs.

Gomez was ordered to wear a tether until his preliminary hearing later this month.