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A veteran California police detective, Gregory Beaumarchais, who was awarded the title of "Detective of the Year" in 2019 has been accused of sending explicit messages to whom he believed was a 14-year-old girl.
Gregory Daniel Beaumarchais, 43, was let go from custody earlier this week after handing himself in for a warrant accusing him of one misdemeanor count of annoying or molesting a victim believed to be under the age of 18.
Following the incident, the Santa Ana Police Department sent Beaumarchais on paid leave. He has been working there since 2011, almost a decade now. A couple of years back in 2019, the department even recognized him as "Detective of the Year" as per a video posted on their social media platforms.
In a statement, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said:
"It is beyond disturbing that a sworn police officer would engage in inappropriate conversations with someone he believed to be a child. Our children should not have to worry about being preyed upon by the very people we teach them who are there to protect them."
The accusation against Gregory Beaumarchais comes from a citizen who called the Crime Stoppers hotline in Orange County and claimed that between December 2021 and January 2022, they had been posing online as a 14-year-old girl when they received graphic messages from someone posing as a 45-year-old police officer.
Gregory Beaumarchais’ crime shocks the police department
According to a statement released by Santa Ana Police Department officials, Gregory Beaumarchais' "potential criminal conduct" came to their attention late last week.
Their statement reads as follows:
"Upon assessing the information, the Department’s Internal Affairs Unit determined the matter to be criminal in nature and the Police Department took immediate and swift action in referring these allegations to the appropriate local and federal authorities."
It further stated:
"Our department learned of this information on a Friday, and the following Monday, we directly engaged with federal partners to initiate a criminal investigation."
Speaking on the incident, Chief David Valentin said:
"Our Department will not tolerate inappropriate behavior or alleged criminal conduct that infringes on the trust provided by the community we are hired to serve."
Gregory Beaumarchais reportedly sent graphic messages to the civilian decoy while on duty, Orange County District Attorney’s Office spokesperson Kimberly Edds said:
"After access to his social media platform was cut off by the provider, Beaumarchais is accused of creating another account under a similar social media handle."
Gregory Beaumarchais was sent on administrative leave until the criminal investigation gets over. Even the Santa Ana Police Department will be offering their assistance in this matter. If found guilty, the disgraced police officer may spend up to a year in Orange County Jail and will be required to register as a s*x offender for the rest of his life.
Gregory Beaumarchais is scheduled to appear before the court for his arraignment on October 13. As per reports, he has hired Paul S. Meyer, a well-known criminal defense lawyer in Orange County.
