A Catawba County man who formerly worked as a police officer in Iredell County faces additional charges and was being held in Catawba County. 37-year-old Matthew Edward Beebe of Anchors Aweigh Lane in Sherrills Ford, who was previously charged with multiple offenses in Iredell County, is charged in Catawba County with felony counts of statutory sex offense with a child by an adult, sex act by a substitute parent or custodian, and indecent liberties with a child. The charges were filed Wednesday (October 4) by the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office.

Beebe was previously arrested last Thursday (September 28) by Mooresville Police Officers and charged with two felony counts apiece of statutory sex offense with a child by an adult and indecent liberties with a child. As WHKY previously reported, Beebe was initially arrested on August 2 and charged with four felony counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

The former Mooresville Police Department (MPD) officer was arrested and terminated after MPD investigators reportedly found child pornography on his personal cell phone in early August. He had been free on a $60,000 bond following his arrest on August 2. The MPD began investigating Beebe after receiving a complaint that he had engaged in sexual misconduct with a minor. The crimes had been committed for three or four years according to a statement from the Mooresville Police Department in a published report.

According to police reports, Investigators allegedly found sexually explicit images of minors on Beebe’s cell phone after obtaining a search warrant as part of the initial investigation. The officer was terminated by the department on the same day he was arrested. Last Thursday’s arrest was the result of an ongoing investigation being conducted by Mooresville Police and the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office.

Beebe was an eleven year veteran who worked in the patrol division. He was suspended on July 28. He was notified August 2 that he had been terminated. As of earlier today Beebe was being held in the Catawba County Detention Facility under $1,000,000 bond. He was scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Catawba County Thursday (October 5). A Superior Court date is scheduled for October 23 in Iredell County.