CLINTON — Police Maj. William Chapman, a 35-year veteran of the force and one of its top administrators, faces departmental charges after an internal investigation found he viewed pornographic Web sites on his office computer.
Chapman, 56, is charged with conduct unbecoming an officer and violating departmental orders concerning the use of department computers, Chief Joseph Faughnan said Monday.
The departmental investigation found Chapman had used his office computer earlier this year to view sexually explicit pictures and videos on Internet sites that advertised via "spam" e-mails, Faughnan said.
The material Chapman viewed is not illegal, Faughnan said, but the use of a department computer to access the Web sites violates departmental orders.
Chapman declined to comment on the charges Monday. The police commission planned to meet to consider the findings.
However, Chapman has apologized to police officials for using poor judgment and causing embarrassment to the department, Faughnan said.
Evidence that Chapman had viewed sexually explicit Internet sites was found in his computer’s hard drive during an upgrade of police computer systems, Faughnan said.
No inappropriate material was found on any other department computer, he noted.
Faughnan said the department has canceled the Internet service provider that delivered the spam and installed filters to block pornographic e-mail. Department policy also has been revised to require all employees to report any pornographic spam that gets through to police computers, he noted.
Chapman is the department’s longest-tenured officer, as patrol division commander is one of the force’s three administrators, and acts as the town’s traffic coordinator.
Promoted to major in 2003, Chapman initially served as a supernumerary while studying police administration at the University of New Haven.
He also is a graduate of the National Academy of the FBI and the Command Training Institute of Babson College. He has received numerous awards and commendations.
İNew Haven Register 2005