Medford firefighter arrested in federal child exploitation sting

A longtime Medford firefighter was arrested Monday night after he allegedly sent lewd images and videos to an undercover agent he thought was a 14-year-old, according to officials and reports.

Hugh McEleney, 63, is charged with dissemination of matter harmful to minors, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan announced. He pleaded not guilty in Somerville District Court Tuesday.

Medford police were notified in December that McEleney was identified during a federal investigation into child exploitation, the DA said. He is accused of communicating with and sending images to a person he thought was a girl under the age of 15.

In court, prosecutors said McEleney was charged after sending nude images and videos of himself to an undercover police officer in St. Petersburg, Florida, who claimed to be 14 years old, NBC Boston 10 reported.

McEleney, who lives in Medford, has been a firefighter for 39 years and has four children, his lawyer told the court, per CBS News. The city did not return a request for comment about his employment status.

McEleney was released on $1,000 bail with orders to have no unsupervised contact with anyone under 18, to not work or volunteer with anyone under 18, and to have no internet or social media access, court records said.

The investigation, conducted by the DA and Medford police, is active and ongoing.

McEleney’s lawyer, George Ohlson, did not return a request for comment Thursday evening.

Molly Farrar is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on education, politics, crime, and more.