The Lincoln police dispatcher arrested on October 13 for possession of child pornography resigned before a town termination hearing was to be held, Chief of Police Kevin Kennedy announced in a statement on November 3. He had been on administrative leave without pay since his arrest.
“The facts surrounding the alleged crime are extremely concerning and shocked all members of the department,” the statement said. “As a result of the Dispatcher Hughes’ arrest, the Lincoln Police Department conducted its own internal investigation. With the assistance of the Town’s IT Director and an independent computer consultant, a forensic examination was conducted on all of the Dispatch computers as well as on Dispatcher Hughes’ computer profile. The internal investigation revealed no evidence of inappropriate or criminal behavior via the use of the town’s computers.
“While the town was in the process of moving forward with a termination hearing, Dispatcher Hughes resigned his position on October 30, 2020.
“It is important for the Lincoln community to know that prior to hiring Dispatcher Hughes a thorough background investigation was conducted to include the submission of fingerprints into the national database. There were no indications of conduct or behaviors that would have cast any doubt on Dispatcher Hughes’ ability to carry out his duties as a public safety dispatcher.”