Former Pensacola officer arrested again after search reveals child sex abuse material, police say

PENSACOLA, Fla. (WALA) - A former Pensacola Police Department officer facing felony drug charges has been arrested again after state investigators uncovered child sexual abuse material, videos depicting bestiality, and illicit restroom recordings on his personal devices, authorities announced Monday.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested 47-year-old Matthew Baxter today on four counts of possession of child sexual abuse material, 30 counts of sexual activity involving animals, four counts of digital voyeurism, and two counts of using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.

The arrest follows an investigation that began earlier this month, when Baxter, who had served as a part-time officer with the department since 2018, was arrested for possession of controlled substances without a prescription. During a forensic analysis of electronic devices seized in that initial probe, FDLE agents uncovered multiple files of child sexual abuse materials, videos of sexual activity involving animals, and image files taken by Baxter of unknown subjects in various restrooms.

Agents took Baxter into custody without incident with assistance from the Office of Agriculture - Law Enforcement and the U.S. Marshals Service, booking him into the Escambia County Jail.