A federal grand jury has indicted a former Cobb County sheriff’s deputy accused of distributing child pornography while working in the sex offender unit, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Wednesday.
In August, Cobb police arrested Peter Bilardello, 51, at his Marietta home and booked him into the county jail. He was charged with two felonies, his arrest warrant states: sexual exploitation of a child and distribution of child porn. Bilardello is accused of chatting about performing sexual acts with children on a social media website, according to investigators.
“Bilardello allegedly shared child pornography through social media while he was employed as a law enforcement officer,” U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine said in an emailed statement. “The victimization of children is one of the most heinous crimes imaginable, and distributing images of child sexual abuse compounds the harm. It is especially troubling that these crimes were allegedly committed by someone in a position of public trust.”
Bilardello is facing both state and federal charges and has two defense attorneys. In a statement released Thursday, he said he is eager to confront the allegations.
“I have spent 17 years as a public servant with the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office with a commendation for bravery and my response without hesitation in an active shooter incident at the Kennesaw FedEx facility in 2014,” Bilardello said in a statement through an attorney. “I feel the brunt of both the state and federal government leveling charges at me.
“I voluntarily resigned as a result of the allegations so that I can concentrate on my family and defense. I await a full opportunity to confront these allegations in a court of law,” the statement said. “I appreciate the support of my family and friends during this time.”
According to prosecutors, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a report in November 2019 that a MeWe social media user had allegedly uploaded and shared approximately 12 images depicting children under 12 years old in sexually explicit conduct. The NCMEC gave that information to the GBI, which determined that the account user was likely located in Marietta. The GBI then contacted the Cobb County Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
On Aug. 10, Cobb police identified the account user as Bilardello. The phone number associated with the social media account was linked to Bilardello, according to police. He had been employed by Cobb County for more than 15 years, including a role in the sex offender unit of the sheriff’s office, according to investigators.
At the time of the arrest, a spokesman for MeWe said the social network reported Bilardello’s alleged crimes to investigators and removed him from the platform. While searching Bilardello’s home and phone, investigators found more than 100 images and videos depicting young children in sexually explicit conduct, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Bilardello resigned from the sheriff’s office following his arrest.
“Every time pornographic images are distributed online, that child is continuously revictimized,” Philip Wislar, acting special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta, said in an emailed statement. “The FBI will not tolerate predators who prey on our children, especially ones like Bilardello, who are sworn law enforcement officers that took an oath to protect the citizens of our community.”
Following his August arrest, Bilardello was released from the Cobb jail on $100,000 bond. A federal arrest warrant was issued for him following his Jan. 25 indictment, court records show.
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