Trial was postponed Tuesday for a veteran LAPD officer and Long Beach resident charged with possessing child pornography.
John Deegan, 54, who was indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of possession of child pornography, will return to federal court March 16 when his new trial date is scheduled, said Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the United States Attorney's Office.
Charged with Deegan was his 27-year-old son, Jonathon Deegan, who pleaded guilty to the same counts last month and who was immediately taken into custody.
Federal investigators first came to suspect the younger Deegan - who had no previous criminal history - of trading pornographic pictures and videos on the Internet, according to court documents.
When FBI agents served a search warrant at the Long Beach home he shared with his father, they found 600 images on his computer of children, some as young as 4 years old, involved in sex acts with adults. They also found alleged child pornography on his father's computer, court documents show.
Father and son turned themselves in to authorities Oct. 5 and were released on $10,000 bond each.
The elder Deegan - a 22-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department - was placed on administrative leave in March when the department was notified of the FBI's investigation. He had been assigned to the Central Division's Patrol Unit, LAPD officials said.
If the elder Deegan is convicted, he faces the possibility of up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine, plus lifetime supervised release and having to register as sex offenders. His son faces a similar sentence.
FBI investigators were able to identify some of the children, none of whom are local, and although the Deegans are not suspected of contacting the children, federal prosecutors are also seeking $1 million in restitution for the victims.
The younger Deegan is scheduled to return to federal court for sentencing April 26.
The elder Deegan remains free on bail as he awaits his trial.
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