DC police officer facing child sex abuse charges after Harford sting

NBC Washington DC ^ | 04/15/2026 | Mark Segraves

[DFG]

A D.C. police officer was ordered held without bond until his next appearance in court on child sex abuse charges.

Lt. Matthew Mahl was arrested in Harford County, Maryland, Tuesday on charges of solicitation of sex from a minor and solicitation of child pornography. He has been with the Metropolitan Police Department for 23 years, most recently assigned to special operations, and 10 years ago became the first openly gay chairman of the police union.

According to charging documents, Mahl met who he thought was a 15-year-old boy on reddit and began a sexually explicit series of text exchanges that lasted for several weeks during which time Mahl allegedly sent sexually explicit pictures of himself to who he thought was the boy. In fact, it was a Harford County sheriff’s deputy.

Mahl provided his real name during their text exchanges, including revealing he is a D.C. police lieutenant who worked on the presidential escorts, court documents say. He allegedly sent a picture of himself in uniform and sexually explicit pictures of himself in his police office.

Mahl discussed the 15-year-old’s age and texted him he could lose everything if caught, court documents say. He requested sexually graphic photos and arranged to meet him after school this week.

When Mahl showed up for what prosecutors say he thought was to be a sexual encounter with a 15-year-old boy, he was taken into custody, police said.

D.C. police issued a statement Tuesday, saying, “The allegations in this case are extremely disturbing, and in direct contrast to the values of by the Metropolitan Police Department. MPD's Internal Affairs Division will investigate violations of MPD policy once the criminal investigation concludes. MPD is not involved in the criminal investigation and was not aware of the investigation until today.”

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TOPICS: US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: harfordcounty; maryland; matthewmahl; solicitation

[DFG]

[DFG]

https://thepostmillennial.com/first-openly-gay-dc-police-union-chairman-arrested-on-child-sex-crimes#google_vignette

[Mr. K]

put him in general population

[ComputerGuy]

In my day, an openly-gay cop would have been laughed off the force.

[Wilderness Conservative]

Fudge packing pillow biters like em young. Love is love. Get over it.

[cyclotic]

I live in Harford County. We have a great Sheriff who leads a strong department. Hats off to them for taking this piece of Metro scum down.

I learned what a pathetic police agency they have in DC on January 6. I was there with a disabled vet who’s wheelchair broke on the way to the car. When we tried to get past the barricade with our car to rescue him from the streetcorner, Officer Friendly told us we couldn’t go through, even thought Secret Service told us we could. When I asked him what he suggested as a solution to rescue the disabled vet, he just gave me a blank look like the moron he was.

Then there was the female MPD “officer” who beat Roseanne Boyland to death with her baton.

[misterdarcey]

- Cop
- Openly gay
- Pedo
Yea, he should be really popular...

[DiogenesLamp]

Homosexuals molest children if given the opportunity. That is what they do. That is what they have always done.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

Just like teachers, ministers and youth counselors, being a cop is an occupation that is targeted by perverts because they can use their position of authority and trust to prey on kids. The vetting and monitoring process for these jobs isn’t nearly strong enough despite several decades of evidence of abuse in the ranks. Here is one more in a long line of examples. And sadly, it won’t be the last. Strong national vetting and monitoring standards need to be established for police.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

[gildafarrell]

Ew!