Granby Police Captain Charged with Possession of Child Pornography

Granby Police Captain David Bourque was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with possession of child pornography, according to an official press release from the Connecticut U.S. District Attorney's office.

Bourque was place on administrative leave on Monday April 11 pending a criminal investigation by state police.  That day members of the Connecticut State Police were given consent to search Bourque’s office and work computers at the Granby Police Department.

Police seized a laptop and other computer components, including an external hard drive, that were personally owned by Bourque.  These items, most of which were encrypted, were seized pursuant to a state search warrant.  The state police also executed a state search warrant at Bourque’s residence.

Police report that a preliminary analysis of one of Bourque’s encrypted hard drives has revealed thousands of images and videos of child pornography.

Bourque surrendered himself today to law enforcement officials and appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Thomas P. Smith in Hartford.  Bourque and his wife co-signed a $150,000 bond and Bourque was directed by the judge to return to a hospital where he has been receiving medical treatment.

The criminal complaint against Bourque alleges that, on two occasions in March 2011, a Connecticut State Police trooper assigned to the Connecticut State Police Computer Crimes Unit, acting in an undercover capacity, logged into a publicly available internet file-sharing program and downloaded several images of suspected child pornography from an account maintained by Bourque, the press release said.

Following his health care treatment, Bourque will be subject to several conditions of release.  He must receive mental health counseling, have no internet access, have no unsupervised contact with children under the age of 18 without first receiving permission from the United States Probation Office.  Bourque is not allowed to hold any position of authority or guidance over children or youth groups involving children who are under the age of 18, according to the U.S. District Attorney.

 If convicted of the charge of possession of child pornography, Bourque faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000.