PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. — A Chamblee police officer has been arrested and is facing child pornography charges.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation charged Ray Collar, 48, of Paulding County, with two counts of distribution of child sexual abuse material on Monday, May 6.

The Chamblee Police Department said in a statement that Collar was immediately relieved of duty pending the outcome of the investigation.

The GBI’s child exploitation and computer crimes unit began an investigation into Collar’s online activity after receiving a cyber tipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about the possible online possession and distribution of child pornography by Collar.

The GBI’s investigation was conducted with the cooperation of the Chamblee Police Department.

GBI agents and deputies with the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant on Collar’s home.

The Chamblee Police Department issued the following statement:

“The Chamblee Police Department (CPD) has been notified of criminal charges pending against one of its employees. The Department has cooperated with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation during the investigation and immediately relieved the employee of duty pending the outcome of the investigation. The CPD is troubled by these allegations. We will continue to monitor the progress of this investigation.”

Anyone with information about other cases of child exploitation is asked to contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Unit at 404-270-8870 or report via the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline at CyberTipline.org.

Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.