What did Matthew Bistany do? Charges against Methuen police officer explored in wake of recent arrest

Matthew Bistany, an officer with the Methuen Police Department, was arrested on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, on charges of child p*rnography. Bistany was arrested after the state police cybercrimes unit received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that someone uploaded a p*rnographic image. Through the tip, authorities managed to identify Bistany as the suspect.

Matthew Bistany has been charged with the possession of two child p*rnography images that have been traced to his Yahoo mail account. These images allegedly comprised girls between the age of 12 and 15, as revealed by police investigators of the state. Bistany was arraigned in the Lawrence District Court on the morning of August 8, 2023.

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Matthew Bistany has been placed on administrative leave

Matthew is on administrative leave (Image Via Twitter/@davenewworld_2)

Matthew Bistany was arrested at his home on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, by the Massachusetts State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force with the assistance of the Methuen Police and a state SWAT team.

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children tipped the police that some material depicting child s*xual assault was uploaded to a specific IP address earlier this year. Authorities used the information and connected it to Bistany.

Following his arrest, Scott McNamara, Methuen Police Chief, revealed that Bistany was placed on administrative leave the moment his department became aware of the heinous allegations against him. His leave will last until the criminal investigation and the internal investigation against him are completed.

"While Officer Bistany is presumed innocent until proven guilty, the Methuen Police Department condemns the officer's conduct as alleged in the charging documents. These allegations in no way reflect upon the character and reputation of the men and women of the Methuen Police Department who stand committed to protecting children and continue to serve with distinction," McNamara said in a statement.

Official statement by the Methuen Police Department (Image via Facebook/Metheun Police Dep)

An internal investigation has also been initiated against Bistany. Chief Scott McNamara has revealed that his department takes the allegations with utmost seriousness. He further emphasized that the allegations against Bistany do not reflect the identity of the Methuen Police Department as a whole.

“These allegations in no way reflect upon the character and reputation of the men and women of the Methuen Police Department who stand committed to protecting children and continue to serve with distinction,” he said.

After being presented in court, Matthew Bistany’s bail amount was set at $5,000, which he paid. He has been released on bail on the condition that he is prohibited from contacting anyone under the age of 16 without supervision.