Former Ruidoso Police officer guilty of possessing child pornography
Former Ruidoso Police officer Daniel Balding was found guilty of two fourth-degree felonies on May 31.
Balding, 39, was found guilty by a Lincoln County jury on one count of child solicitation by electronic device and one count of sexual exploitation of children by recording.
Judge Angie Schneider presided over the trial.
The New Mexico State Police and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security conducted the investigation. Both found that on Sept. 12, 2019, Balding sent text messages to a 15-year-old through the Whisper App.
During this time Balding was still a law enforcement officer with the Ruidoso Police Department. In the messages with the 15-year-old, Balding asked for sexual pictures and videos. He also sent pictures of himself in his uniform, sitting in his patrol vehicle.
Balding faces a maximum sentence of three years and the sentencing is scheduled for a later date.
Juan Corral can be reached at JCorral@gannett.com or on twitter at @Juan36Corr.
This article originally appeared on Ruidoso News: Former Ruidoso Police officer faces three years for child sex crimes
