PHOENIX — Records of Phoenix Police Officer Alaa Bartley's more than 16 years of service are contained in more than 50 pages of a central human resources personnel file obtained by 12News, which mentions some instances Bartley worked calls with victims who were children.
Bartley is facing federal charges related to child pornography and is on administrative leave from the Phoenix Police Department. The department told 12News last week that it began a disciplinary process that could lead to Bartley's termination.
The HR file 12News obtained mostly contains Bartley's annual reviews, where he met expectations for each review. Bartley began with the Phoenix Police Department in 2007.
The file notes how Bartley worked in various precincts with Phoenix police, including the Maryvale-Estrella Mountain Precinct and Mountain View Precinct.
When 12News asked a Phoenix police spokesperson earlier this week about whether Bartley worked cases involving children or child sex crime cases, a spokesperson told us Bartley "has not held an investigative position."
Bartley's personnel file describes him as "conducting thorough investigations" as part of his work on patrol, including crimes involving children.
In 2015, Bartley responded to a child molestation call. A review by a supervisor notes in 2019 how Bartley received a commendation for his involvement in a public sexual indecency investigation that included children victims.
Bartley's most recent review in February of this year notes how in September, Bartley provided aid to a young child in a stroller on a hot day.
"A person can still have good reviews – that's a good thing for work performance – but sometimes things are done in the dark that we don't know about," Attorney Benjamin Taylor said.
The FBI started investigating Bartley as part of a case that began with a national web of alleged child predators. The FBI found more than 49,000 images and more than 700 videos on a phone during searches of Bartley's home and a Phoenix police substation last week. Many of the images and videos were identified as child pornography.
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Federal court records also detail how Bartley had been communicating with a woman about his plans to molest children himself and asked her to help groom children for him. That woman is also facing charges.
"Nobody's above the law," Taylor said. "No matter if he's an officer, his cases should be looked at, should be reviewed to make sure that he wasn't doing anything wrong or illegal while handling these cases."
Phoenix police have not responded to 12News' question Thursday if Bartley's cases involving children are being reviewed.
While Bartley's file references commendations and awards he's received, it does not reference any disciplinary action that may or may not have taken place. 12News has requested any additional HR records from the police department itself.
Bartley is due back in federal court on Friday.
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