Trumbull grand jury to consider child pornography charges filed against suspended Akron police officer

Geoffrey Parker

The Trumbull County Grand Jury will decide if there's enough evidence to put an Akron police officer on trial for allegedly taking and uploading a nude picture of a four-year-old girl in Weathersfield Township.

A judge in Niles Municipal Court has sent the case of 34-year-old Geoffrey Parker to the grand jury for further consideration.

Parker, who has served on the Akron Police Department for four years, is charged with pandering obscenity involving a minor and illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material.

Police tell 21 News Parker took a nude photo of a four-year-old girl in Weathersfield Township and sent it to an online chatroom app known as Kik. 

The image was sent to the Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI) who was able to trace it back to Parker. Two days later, Parker was arrested at the Akron Police Department.

Parker has been held in the Trumbull County Jail on a $1 million bond since his arrest last Wednesday. If he is bailed out, he will not be allowed to return home since he has children and is ordered to have no contact with any children.

Akron Police Chief Brian Harding released the following statement on the situation:

“I am sickened to learn of these charges against one of our employees. I thank the Bureau of Criminal Investigation for handling this case and trust that the judicial and legal process will reveal the truth. Anyone engaging in this behavior should be held accountable for their actions to the fullest extent possible by law.
I’m confident that justice will be served.”

Parker has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an indictment per department policy.