Catawba County man and former police officer pleads guilty in sexual exploitation case, gets probation, Mooresville chief critical of outcome

A former Mooresville police officer charged in Catawba and Iredell counties has been convicted in a sexual exploitation case. The defendant, 38-year-old Matthew Beebe of Sherrills Ford, received no jail time after pleading guilty last week. This has resulted in a critical response from Mooresville’s police chief.

On July 28, 2023, information was provided to the MPD Command Staff that an officer allegedly engaged in sexual misconduct with a minor. MPD immediately began investigating the allegations and suspended the officer pending the outcome of the investigation. Based on information obtained during the investigation, MPD obtained search and arrest warrants on August 1, 2023.

With assistance from the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, Officer Matthew Beebe was arrested on August 2, 2023 and charged with four felony counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. Beebe was booked into the Iredell County Detention Center on a $60,000 bond.

The Iredell County District Attorney believed there could be a conflict with her office prosecuting Beebe due to the number of times he has testified for the prosecution in court. As a result, a special prosecutor was appointed to the case.

Based on evidence seized from Beebe’s home in Catawba County, additional charges were filed against Beebe. The case became a joint investigation with Catawba County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), aimed at filing a prosecutable case against Beebe.

In the months that followed, investigators from both agencies worked together and independently with the special counsel to prepare evidence for the trial. A trial date was scheduled and the case continued to progress despite delays.

In August 2024, Mooresville Police were contacted by Special Prosecutor Donna Rainwater and informed that Beebe would enter a plea on September 24. This plea included state prison time.

However, on September 23, less than 24 hours before Beebe’s sentencing, a Mooresville Police Department investigator was contacted via email by Special Prosecutor Rainwater. In the email, Rainwater noted that “(Beebe) pleads to two counts of indecent liberties from Iredell and one count from Catawba. He will receive consecutive probation sentences, a 30-year registration and surrender of his LEO certificate.”

In a press release, the following statement was released by Mooresville Police Chief Campurciani. “This is the most outrageous ‘persecution’ I have witnessed in the almost forty years I have been in this profession. This man committed despicable acts against a minor. At the same time, this predator continued to live his double life and put his public face on display to serve as a police officer with the city of Mooresville.

The men and women that make up the Mooresville Police Department work so hard every day to serve this community. They are well aware that there is distrust of the police. That’s why we treat everyone fairly, with dignity and respect. We hold our officers accountable when they do not treat everyone with the same values. Those who do not subscribe to this philosophy learn very early that there is no safe place for them to land in the MPD. A decision like this widens the gap of distrust towards the police and the entire criminal justice system.

Putting a predator like Beebe back on the street is not only dangerous, but also irresponsible. The entire Mooresville Police Department, the City of Mooresville Board of Commissioners, the City Manager, and the dozens and dozens of people from whom I have heard about this conviction every day for the past week want and deserve answers to this debacle.