DC police lieutenant celebrated as first gay union boss accused of soliciting underage boy
A veteran Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer and former police chief D.C. police union He was arrested in what authorities described as a “disturbing” child abuse case, MPD said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Lt. Matthew Mahl, 47, who previously made history as the police union’s first openly gay chief, allegedly exchanged text messages with an undercover Maryland detective posing as a 15-year-old boy, according to charging documents.
The allegations mark a dramatic decline for a 23-year law enforcement veteran who took a prominent leadership role in the department’s labor ranks and oversaw security for major events in D.C., including presidential escort details.
“The allegations in this case are deeply disturbing and directly contradict the values of the Metropolitan Police Department,” the department said.
MPD said the Harford County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) arrested Mahl last Tuesday in Maryland.
D.C. police officer He is charged with solicitation of sexual intercourse from a minor and solicitation of child pornography, according to documents filed in Harford County Maryland District Court.
Mahl allegedly connected with a social media user he believed to be a 15-year-old boy in the Reddit community named “r/GayYoungOldDating.” However, according to the documents, the user is actually an undercover detective with HCSO.
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Matthew Mahl attended a memorial service on May 9, 2016. Mahl was charged with soliciting sexual intercourse from a minor and soliciting child pornography.
(Getty Images)
Over several weeks the senior officer allegedly exchanged a series of messages that became increasingly intimate and sexually explicit.
Mahl allegedly sent inappropriate photos of himself in uniform and at the police office. Also allegedly sexually graphic Photos of the alleged child.
It was also claimed that Mahl made numerous statements indicating that he was aware of the age difference between himself and the user, acknowledged that the person was a “child” and stated that he could not wait for the child to reach the age of 16, which is the age of consent.
The officer was taken into custody during an after-school reunion with the boy in Harford County last week.
Mahl has since been placed on administrative leave and his police powers have been revoked while the investigation continues, MPD said.
The ministry added that it was not involved in the criminal investigation and was not aware of the investigation that led to Mahl’s arrest.
Mayor Muriel Bowser touched on the issue at a press conference last Wednesday, saying she was unaware of the allegations but confirmed that she had been placed on administrative leave.
District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser testifies at a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on oversight of the District of Columbia on September 18, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
“We have no information any accusation “or if there is any investigation involving the District, his employment, or our children, and I really don’t know what else to say,” he said. “If these allegations are true, we don’t want someone like that in our force.”
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It was reported that it was decided to hold Mahl without bail until his next preliminary hearing, which is scheduled for next month. based on to NBC 4.
Original article source: D.C. police lieutenant celebrated as first gay union boss accused of molesting a minor
