A routine police house call led to a New Jersey officer being charged with a sex crime. The incident began when the New Jersey police officer was helping a family with an undisclosed matter. During the family assistance, the police officer encountered the family’s 12-year-old daughter.
While the New Jersey police officer was assisting the family, the mother of the 12-year-old daughter claims the officer made inappropriate comments to the daughter. The mother additionally claims the officer requested that the daughter text him and gave her his personal cellphone number.
The mother reported these allegations to the local police department and the police department immediately contacted the local prosecutor’s office. After the prosecutor’s office was contacted, detectives from the prosecutor’s office posed as the daughter and began texting the officer. After several days of texting, the messages allegedly became explicit in nature. The explicit text included pictures of the officer in his uniform and an apparent exposure and a request to meet for a sexual encounter. During the course of the texting, the 12-year-old daughter was never involved and reportedly not harmed as a result of the incident.
The New Jersey police officer was charged with luring and enticement of a child and attempted aggravated sexual assault. The police officer entered not guilty pleas for all of the criminal charges. The bail is currently set at $250,000. In addition to the criminal charges, the police officer has been suspended from the police department without pay during the investigation into the incident.
Source: The Washington Post, “Prosecutor: New Jersey police officer arrested on charge of attempted sex assault of girl, 12,” April 25, 2012