A D.C. police lieutenant has pleaded guilty after being caught in a child sex abuse sting operation in Harford County, Maryland. Court records show Matthew Mahl, a 23-year veteran with the D.C. police department, was arrested in April after prosecutors said he traded sexually explicit messages with someone he believed was a 15-year-old boy. Mahl provided his real name during the text messages, and shared that he was a lieutenant involved in presidential escorts, according to court documents cited by NBC Washington at the time of the arrest. In addition to sexually explicit photos, Mahl sent a photo of himself in uniform. Prosecutors said Mahl discussed the 15-year-old’s age and said he could lose everything if caught. Mahl arranged to meet the teen after school — when he arrived, he was taken into custody. The operation was recorded as part of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office partnership with the “Takedown with Chris Hansen” series, which documents child predator sting investigations.
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Mahl pleaded guilty to two felony counts of solicitation of a minor on Aug. 7, in Harford County Circuit Court. Judge Elizabeth Bowen ordered Mahl undergo a psychiatric evaluation before he’s sentenced on Sept. 30. He remains held without bond.
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