Madison cop won’t spend a day in prison for child porn conviction

MORRISTOWN — A Madison police officer has been sentenced to two years probation and about $900 in fines  after admitting he had nude pictures of a 17-year-old girl from Brunswick, Ohio.

Chad Rybka, 33, of Bernards Township pleaded guilty in May to one count of endangering the welfare of a child/possession of child pornography. Morris County Prosecutor Frederic Knapp said the girl sent Rybka the nude pictures via Twitter's messaging feature.

Brunswick police first learned of the pictures and notified Madision police, who contacted the Morris County Prosecutor's Office, Knapp said. The prosecutor said their investigation led to the discovery of a number of images in Rybka's possession.

Rybka was suspended when the images were discovered and immediately resigned. He had been an officer in Madison since August 2007.

At the sentencing hearing, a letter was read from the girl's parents condemning Rybka's actions but expressed concern for the “good officers of the Madison Police Department” who would have to “rebuild the damage (Rybka) brought to their department.”

"The Madison Police Department ... has zero tolerance for any police officer misconduct that adversely effects the Borough’s reputation or the integrity of the Police Department,” Madison Chief Dachisen said in May in a prepared statement.

Rybka's attorney, Gerard Hanlon, was quoted by the Daily Record in May as saying that the case is "a real loss to the department because he was a terrific officer and slated for great things."

In 2012, Rybka was honored with Madison Police Department's DWI Top Gun Award, an award given to the officer that makes the most impaired driver arrests, and was recognized for his presentation on the dangers of drunk driving.