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CMPD officer, helicopter pilot accused of sexually assaulting young girl

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg police arrested one of their own and charged him with more than two dozen sex-related offenses.

Officer Matthew Porter, 54, is charged with eight counts of first-degree sex offense and 20 counts of indecent liberties.

The accuser, now 17, who lives in Nevada, told officials with the Nye County Sheriff’s Office that she was assaulted by Porter, who she described as a family friend.

The accuser said the sexual assaults happened between 2010 and 2013 when she was 10 years old.

"It's something we take very seriously and not something we tolerate as an organization," Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Deputy Chief Katrina Graue said. "We did arrest him today at his home."

“I am disappointed that one of our officers is accused of this very serious offense. We represent the law and absolutely will not tolerate one of our own violating it. It’s our job to protect this community. We have no place in our ranks for anyone who would violate the trust of a child in this manner,” Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Chief Kerr Putney said in a statement.

"It is not uncommon for child victims to delay reporting as they grow a little more mature and seek counseling." Graue said. "It is not uncommon for disclosures to come out years later."

Porter, who is assigned to the Aviation Unit, has been placed on unpaid administrative leave. He was hired by CMPD in 1995 and began flying helicopters two years later, Graue said.

Police said there is no indication that the incidents happened while he was on duty.

CMPD is asking anyone else who may have been abused by Porter to call police.

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