Staff Sgt. Andrew Beezub turned himself in Tuesday night to Keene Police Department officials, the department said in a news release. Police executed a search warrant on his home and vehicle April 7; an arrest warrant went out early Tuesday.
The department received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in February regarding potential online child-porn activity and worked with the state attorney general's office to pursue the investigation, the release states. Beezub, who is stationed at the Keen Recruiting Center, is charged with possessing child sexual abuse images, a felony.
New England Army Recruiting Battalion officials are working with law enforcement in the investigation, Army Recruiting Command spokeswoman Kelli Bland said Wednesday in an email. Beezub has been removed from recruiting duty for the duration of the investigation — standard procedure in the wake of such allegations.
"Inappropriate behavior is unacceptable in our Army and is not tolerated in Recruiting Command," Bland said. "All recruiters are expected to serve honorably as Army ambassadors and to communities across America."
Beezub, 32, was released on $2,500 bail with conditions, according to the news release, which include no unsupervised contact with minors. He has an April 21 court date.
The recruiter entered active-duty service in June 2002, moved to the Pennsylvania Army National Guard from June 2005 to March 2006, then moved to the Individual Ready Reserve, according to information provided by Army Human Resources Command. He re-enlisted in the active force that July, serving with units in Alaska, Germany and Fort Bliss, Texas, before joining the New England Recruiting Battalion in June 2013.
An infantryman, he deployed twice to Iraq (2003-04, 2008-09) and once to Afghanistan (2001-12), HRC records show. He earned four Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals and three Army Good Conduct Medals, among other awards and decorations.
Investigators have asked anyone with information about the case to contact the police department at 603-357-9820 or via the department's crime-tips website.
Kevin Lilley is the features editor of Military Times.
