Firefighter gets caught talking about child porn on camera

AUSTIN, Texas -- A former firefighter was caught on camera talking about buying child porn.

KXAN-TV reported that Bob Nicks, president of the Austin Firefighters Association, says firefighters became aware of the video showing Erik Spalteholz last week. He had been with the Austin Fire Department for more than 20 years.

"Obviously it's incredibly despicable, it's sickening," Nicks said. "What we know is, is that several hundred firefighters received a messenger."

In the message, Spalteholz allegedly confessed to paying money for naked pictures of a child.

"I don't know, probably over $700," Spalteholz said.

"They need to investigate the extent they can be assured that they've learned everything they can about this event and it didn't go any further than this one former firefighter," Nicks said.

As the chair of Austin's Public Safety Commission, Rebecca Webber agrees with the union president.

"It will be very important to conduct an investigation and to make sure that nothing ever happened while this person was on duty," Webber said. "When someone retires from a public safety department under a cloud of scrutiny, that doesn't mean that the issue has been put to rest."

The Austin Police Department is still investigating Spalteholz.