A now-former Banning police officer suspected of furnishing pornographic material to a youth remained out of custody Friday as prosecutors scrutinize the allegations against him to determine whether charges should be filed.
Christopher John Sayeski, 38, was the focus of an investigation earlier this month after allegations surfaced that he had been in contact with a minor and provided sexually explicit pictures or videos to the victim, whose identity was not disclosed.
On Feb. 3, Sayeski was arrested and booked into the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on suspicion of distributing harmful material to a child and using an underage person for the purpose of producing obscene material.
Sayeski posted a $10,000 bond and was released within hours, according to jail records.
Banning police spokeswoman Sol Avila said Sayeski resigned from the police department on Feb. 11. There was no word on how long he had been in law enforcement.
The circumstances behind the alleged offenses were not detailed. The case has been referred to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, according to court records. A tentative March 21 court date has been set, though a complaint has yet to be filed.
Banning police spokeswoman Sol Avila said that sheriff’s detectives handled the investigation that culminated in the suspect’s arrest.
“The Banning Police Department remains committed to uncompromised integrity of its officers, and it will take all appropriate actions to ensure the public’s trust in this law enforcement agency,” Avila said.