(KRON) -- A former San Jose Police Department employee who posted messages on social media encouraging violence against people who did not agree with his extreme beliefs was sentenced to prison for possession of child pornography, federal prosecutors announced Friday. Denis Shevchenko, 45, of Gilr oy, was sentenced to serve five years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Edward Davila handed down the sentence following a bench trial. Shevchenko was working as an SJPD civilian community service officer at the time of his arrest in 2021. He previously worked as a police officer for SJPD and the Pinole Police Department, prosecutors said. NFL slaps 49ers owner Jed York with hefty fine after prostitution sting arrest An investigation into Shevchenko began in October of 2021, when law enforcement discovered he had posted violent messages on the internet advocating for shooting police officers and "culling" people who did not share his beliefs, according to the U.S. Attorney Northern District of California. Shevchenko wrote posts on Gab, a social media website known for far-right extreme ideology, police officials said. Denis Shevchenko SJPD detectives executed a search warrant at their co-worker's home and seized Shevchenko’s electronic devices. His devices contained "numerous videos and thousands of images of child pornography. The images depicted minors, including babies and toddlers, engaged in sexually explicit conduct," prosecutors wrote. The ex-officer was indicted by a grand jury in 2022. Following a 2025 bench trial, Judge Davila found Shevchenko guilty of possessing child pornography.  Shevchenko is scheduled to report to prison on Oct. 29 to begin serving his sentence. ...read more read less