Former Henderson police sergeant faces child porn charge

A former Henderson police sergeant who resigned 14 years ago after being accused of helping drug dealers has been charged with possession of child pornography in New Mexico.

Larry Franco, 56, was a high-ranking parole officer at the New Mexico Department of Corrections until his resignation in June, when authorities charged him with child exploitation and tampering with evidence. The FBI has taken over the case.

A Corrections Department spokeswoman said Franco was a supervisor of probation and parole officers and worked in the sex offenders unit. He resigned after police said they found child pornography on his home computer and a flash drive.

Whether he is being accused of downloading illegal porn at work is unclear.

The then-Henderson officer made local headlines in 1997 when he was charged with being an accessory to methamphetamine sales, a felony.

Franco resigned from the department and took a deal by pleading guilty to a misdemeanor for violation by a public officer. He received a $500 fine.

Franco was first identified by Henderson detectives who recorded him talking to a suspected methamphetamine dealer they were tracking.

Police conducted a sting operation and said they caught Franco giving inside information about an undercover police car to help the suspect.

After the Clark County case was settled, Franco said the charges ruined his career and told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that no police department in the country would hire him again.

“I said, ‘You might as well take me out and shoot me,’ ” he said. “I’m not going to be a cop anywhere.”

Contact reporter Mike Blasky at mblasky@review
journal.com or 702-383-0283.