Auburn police officer fired after arrest for immoral communications with minor
An officer with the Auburn Police Department has been fired after being arrested in May for inappropriately communicating with a minor in Pierce County, the agency announced on Monday.
According to a Facebook post from APD, the 42-year-old man was fired on May 28 after an internal investigation.
“Effective May 28, 2026, the employment of an Auburn Police Department officer who was arrested for felony immoral communication with a minor has been terminated,” the post said. “The decision was based on off-duty conduct that was investigated through the department’s internal investigation process.”
The News Tribune previously reported on the arrest, which happened May 15.
“[We] arrested a commissioned officer with the Auburn Police Department for felony immoral communication with a minor,” the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said in a release at the time. “The officer was taken into custody without incident and was immediately placed on administrative leave pending the filing of formal charges.”
PCSO previously said Auburn Police Chief Mark Cailler worked with Pierce County deputies to coordinate the arrest at the APD station “to ensure the safety of everyone involved.”
“The allegations in this case are deeply troubling and do not reflect the values, professionalism, or integrity of the Auburn Police Department. Our duty as officers is to ensure the safety and well-being of the public, especially children,” Caillier said in the release. “This officer has broken that trust, and this incident will be handled as promptly as possible, while still ensuring that due process is followed.”
On May 17, the man left the Pierce County Jail on a $100,000 bail, The News Tribune previously reported.
Carly Cappetto, spokesperson for PCSO, told The News Tribune on June 1 that the investigation is ongoing, and the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office won’t charge him “until they can finish processing all of the electronic devices.”
“So, there is no determination on that until the investigation is complete,” Cappetto said. “When they served that warrant, they removed all of the electronic devices and there’s a lot to sift through. They’re waiting on detectives to finish their warrants on all of those items before making a final determination.”
The News Tribune previously asked Cappetto if the victim is in Pierce County, which she confirmed.
“The investigation is ongoing in terms of the victim in Pierce County,” Cappetto wrote in a message to The News Tribune. “But yes, this case is in our jurisdiction and our [Internet Crimes Against Children] team is leading the investigation.”
