A San Jose police officer was arrested Thursday and charged with indecent exposure for allegedly masturbating in a home where he had responded for a call of a domestic disturbance last month, Santa Clara County prosecutors announced.
Officer Matthew Dominguez, a 32-year-old who had been with the department for four years, is set for arraignment on June 22 on the misdemeanor charge.
According to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office, Dominguez and two other officers responded on April 21 to a call about a mentally ill family member who was being violent at a home in San Jose, and after sending the other officers away to locate the person, he touched himself in front of two female family members and exposed himself to the mother of the family.
The victims reported the officer's behavior to two male relatives nearby, and one also witnessed the officer exposing himself in a dining area of the home, prosecutors said.
If convicted, he could face up to a year in jail and be placed on a sex offender list for 10 years.
"The charged behavior is beyond disturbing," District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. "Law enforcement officers respond to our homes to help crime victims, not terrorize, traumatize, and create new victims."
NBC Bay Area legal analyst Steve Clark said "this has far reaching implications, both on and off duty."
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said he's fed up with the series of embarrassing incidents involving San Jose police officers, and wants the chief to have more authority to deal out punishment.
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The officer is currently on administrative leave from the San Jose Police Department, which shared a video of police Chief Anthony Mata walking the officer out of the police Internal Affairs office.
"Last week, I said that when an officer violated the public's trust or engages in criminal conduct, I would personally walk that officer out the door," Mata said. "Today, I did it."
The San Jose police union also weighed in by supporting the mayor, and saying the chief needs to develop an action plan to address the incidents that are besmirching the department.
Dominguez is expected in court June 22.
Prosecutors are asking anyone with information about Dominguez to call criminal investigator Christina Hanks at (408) 792-2851.
