An investigation is ongoing into allegations that former German national player Christoph Metzelder distributed child pornography, the public prosecutor's office in Hamburg announced on Wednesday.

The 38-year-old defendant, a member of the 2002 World Cup's runners-up, was accused of having sent pictures with child pornographic content to a recipient in Hamburg via the WhatsApp communication platform, the German newspaper Bild first reported.

Hamburg police on Tuesday carried out two searches in Dusseldorf, where Metzelder lives.

Police said Metzelder cooperated with the authorities and the material collected during the investigation would be evaluated.

Germany's public broadcaster ARD had already suspended Metzelder as a pundit, as ARD sports coordinator Axel Balkausky told newspaper Bild. "We are putting the cooperation on hold until the allegations are cleared up."

During the police investigation, data storage media were seized as evidence which would now be evaluated.

Metzelder won the German national title with Borussia Dortmund and the Spanish league title with Real Madrid.