Former Officer Erasmo Mata Jr Headed to Trial for Sexual Assaulting Child

Trial is set to begin December 1, in the case of former Pharr police officer Erasmo Mata, Jr., accused of repeated first-degree felony sexual assaults of a child.

A federal civil lawsuit filed with Texas Southern District Court back in May accused Mata of assaulting the minor five times, on five separate occasions, all while on duty.  The suit alleges that the attacks took place in abandoned houses around the city as other Pharr police officers stood by and watched.

The lawsuit also accused the department of engaging in a cover-up to protect the officers from criminal charges, as well as not conducting a rape kit or immediately testing the evidence.

The lawsuit was filed against the officer, the City of Pharr, the Pharr Police Department and the Pharr police chief.

Claims against the City of Pharr and the Pharr Police Chief Ruben Villescas were dismissed, however the motion to dismiss Mata was denied.

The Pharr Police Department did an internal investigation, but the family claims Chief Villescas told them not to hire an attorney and that he would personally take care of the allegations against the officer, Valley Central reports.

While the officers were terminated, neither Mata, nor the officers who allegedly watched, initially faced any criminal charges for the 2013 attacks.

After the lawsuit was filed, the lawyer for the teen asked the Texas Rangers to conduct their own investigation into the allegations. The Rangers found the accusations to be accurate and turned over the results to prosecutors, who presented the case to a grand jury and indicted Mata on July 30.

Pharr’s city attorneys deny that other officers watched the sexual assaults.

If convicted, Mata faces between five and 99 years in prison, as well as a fine of up to $10,000.

Isolated incident? Hardly.

Sexual misconduct is the second highest of all complaints nationwide against police officers, representing 9.3 percent in 2010, according to an unofficial study.

In 2010, 354 of the 618 complaints involved non consensual sexual acts, and over half of those involved were minors.

Earlier this month we reported on an officer in charge of a rape case who is accused of stalking and sexually harassing the victim.

Last month Oklahoma made headlines with three serial rapists in 3 weeks, all officers, as well as one police chief molesting children.

In July, a former New York Police Department officer convicted of planning to kidnap and rape women before killing and eating them was set to go free after a federal judge overturned his conviction.

Officer Andre Corbin & Officer Ralph Pereira Charged with Sexually Assaulting Children

Two police officers in southern New Jersey are accused of sexually assaulting children.

Atlantic County prosecutors say Atlantic City Officer Andre Corbin and Brigantine Officer Ralph Pereira are each charged with two counts of sexual contact and single counts of official misconduct, child endangerment and criminal sexual contact. Corbin also faces an additional count of official misconduct.

The charges against Pereira involve a 16-year-old girl. Prosecutors say he held a position of authority and disciplinary power over the teen.

Further details on the charges against Corbin have not been released.

Corbin was freed after posting $100,000 bond, while Pereira was being held on $100,000 cash bail.

Former Officer Patrick Earwood Convicted on 10 Counts of Child Molestation

Jurors took two hours Wednesday to convict former Cave Spring police officer Patrick Earwood on 10 counts, including aggravated child molestation, in Floyd County Superior Court.

Earwood, 31, faces 25 years to life in prison for aggravated child molestation. Judge Tami Colston is scheduled June 9 to sentence Earwood on all his charges.

“I’m very pleased with the jury’s verdict,” Assistant District Attorney Kay Ann Wetherington said.

Jurors convicted Earwood on two counts each of aggravated sodomy and second-degree child cruelty and on one count each of aggravated child molestation, sexual battery, sexual assault against a person in custody, child molestation, giving false statements and violation of his oath as a public officer.

They acquitted Earwood on one count each of sexual assault against a person in custody and sexual battery.

Peter Odom, Earwood’s attorney, said he respects the jury, adding it’s likely his client will appeal.

“We’re very disappointed in the verdict,” Odom said. “Obviously, the jury did not see things the way we thought they should.”

Jurors found that Ear wood touched or coerced three of four women into sex acts between 2012 and June 2013. They acquitted Earwood on accusations he touched a woman’s breasts in exchange for not taking her to jail for DUI.

Closing arguments

Odom attacked the victims in his closing arguments, questioning their credibility and deriding prosecutors for what he called a lack of evidence.

“Allegations are easy to make,” Odom told jurors. “But in a court of law they’ve got to withstand the acid test of your reasoning.

“I’m going to talk to you about what the evidence is — words,” Odom added. “You’ve got the words of two teenagers and two criminals. That’s it.”

The allegations against Earwood surfaced last June when one of the teens told a friend. Police began investigating, and on July 1 arrested Earwood.

Odom told jurors that the teens initially denied that his client touched them, saying that’s why the younger girl was reticent about testifying.

“She made it up,” Odom said. “She got Sgt. (Teri) Davis all worked up to the point that she made an arrest, and she can’t take it back.”

Odom said the girls’ stories kept changing because they’re false. The two adult women had a reason to lie because they faced potential criminal charges.

One woman admitted she used drugs and has a conviction for giving police false information. The other was stopped for DUI, though her case never reached court, Odom said.

The defense attorney also hammered prosecutors for failing to provide jurors the victims’ phone records. Odom questioned why Davis didn’t get the records between one teen and her boyfriend, and the conversations between both teen victims.

“What physical evidence do you have to support the claims the state is making?” Odom asked. “You’ve got nothing.”

Wetherington dismissed Odom’s arguments, telling jurors the victims’ testimony is the best evidence.

“He had a badge,” Wetherington said of Earwood. “He had a gun. He had a patrol car. He had power. I can only imagine how these victims felt at the time this officer exercised control over them. Instead of serve and protect he chose to molest and assault.”

Wetherington advised jurors against focusing on what she called unimportant details, and instead examine the elements of the crimes.

Three of the victims didn’t live in Cave Spring. The victim who lived in the small town was 14 years old at the time and without parental supervision.

“What has she gained from this?” Wetherington asked. “Nothing. She has nothing to gain. No motive whatsoever.

“This is not a conspiracy,” the prosecutor added. “This is not a coincidence.”

The teen victims know each other, but the adult victims don’t know any of the others. Wetherington called them credible because of that and because she said they told similar stories: that Earwood coerced a sex act from them in exchange for avoiding jail.

“Please be the voice of these girls,” Wetherington said, referring to all four victims. “They’ve got no dog in this fight.”

Community Service Officer Tyler Jochman Arrested for Child Sexual Assault

Appleton Police Department Community Service Officer Tyler Jochman was arrested and jailed on charges of second degree sexual assault of a child (felony) and sexual intercourse with a child age 16 or older (misdemeanor) on May 9, 2014.

The Appleton Police Department said that they became aware of the allegations on May 8th, and immediately contacted the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Department to conduct the investigation.  Following the investigation, Jochman was arrested and jailed at the Outagamie County Jail. Jochman appeared in Outagamie County Court on May 12, 2014.  He has since been released after posting a $5,000 cash bond.

Nineteen year-old Jochman, of Appleton, had worked with the Appleton Police Department since June of 2013.

Jochman submitted his resignation from the Appleton Police Department on May 12, 2014.

Community Service Officers are not sworn police officers and are responsible for assisting the department with a variety of civilian duties.

Former Officer Scott Arms Charged with Rape of Child

A former Colville Police Officer has been arrested in Chelan County and charged with Rape of a Child in the First Degree. Scott L. Arms was booked into the Chelan County jail, his bail set at $25,000. As of Wednesday morning, he had been released.

According to court documents, the alleged victim told her middle school counselor about the incident she says took place at a Wenatchee home in January. The alleged victim then relayed the same story to investigators with the Chelan County Sheriff's Office. She says she was watching a Seahawks game with Arms when he sexually assaulted her.

According to court documents, the young woman told investigators that she didn't come forward because she was "very fearful and did not know what to do, especially since Arms was a police officer." At the time of the alleged incident, Arms was a Colville Police Officer. Court records show the girl told police she came forward in April because she found out Arms was quitting his job in Colville and was going to be in Wenatchee more often.

When confronted about the incident, Arms told investigators he wasn't sure about the allegations, but knew they had something to do with unwanted touching. Court documents show he told police, "I don't know if I pinched her butt or what."

Arms told police he has a good relationship with the girl,  believes she's an honest young woman and doesn't lie. When asked why he thought she would make these allegations, Arms responded, "Because she has a crush on me." The victim said she liked Arms "and didn't want to see him get in any trouble... but she does not want to be alone with him anymore."

The alleged victim's mother, who has a personal relationship with Arms, told police she believes her daughter is making up the allegations. But, according to the investigator on the case "school personnel, friends, her brother and her neighbor say [she] is a very well adjusted and honest young woman." Court documents cite several people as saying, "If she said it happened, then it happened."

Arms was arrested Monday and booked into the Chelan County Jail on child rape charges. He's been ordered to stay at least 300 feet away from the alleged victim at all times. He'll be in court to enter a plea on May 19.

Colville Police Chief Robert Meshishnek said Arms resigned from the police department on April 30.

Former Officer Daniel Barber Charged with Sexually Assaulting Child

A former police officer turned businessman accused of sexually assaulting a boy is facing additional charges involving seven more children in northwestern Wisconsin.

Authorities say 46-year-old Daniel Barber preyed on children in his care, sometimes using Craigslist and Facebook to connect with parents in need of baby sitters. St. Croix County Sheriff John Shilts says Barber appeared to be "a knight in shining armor," sometimes stepping in to care for children of single parents experiencing financial difficulties.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press says the North Hudson man was charged in February with sexually assaulting a 6-year-old boy and possessing child pornography. The new charges filed this week date back to 2004 and allege the abuse of seven more boys, including two toddlers.

Barber's attorney, Mark Gherty, declined to comment on the additional charges.

Former Trooper David Morikiawa Takes Plea Deal in Child Sexual Abuse Case

A former Michigan State Police trooper will not have a retrial next week after taking a plea deal in a child sexual abuse case.

David Morikawa, 40, was convicted of second-degree criminal sexual conduct in 2011. The charges involved a victim under the age of 13. At the time the charges were filed, Morikawa was a trooper at the Iron River Post, which has since closed.

He was sentenced to two concurrent terms of 20 months to 15 years in prison, and he completed his sentence last year. After he was released on parole, the Michigan Court of Appeals granted him a new trial. Morikawa claimed he received ineffective assistance from counsel at his original trial. The retrial was scheduled to begin this coming Tuesday, the 22nd.

He has instead pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree child abuse. Morikawa will be sentenced on May 27th in the Iron County Trial Court. Under the terms of his plea agreement, he will receive credit for the time he’s already served. Morikawa also will not have to register as a sex offender and he won’t be subject to any further prison time, probation or fines.

Deputy Henry Ford Arrested for Child Abuse

An Adams County sheriff’s deputy arrested on child abuse charges appeared in court on Tuesday to be formally charged.

Henry Ford, 37, is accused of sexually assaulting a child. The alleged incident happened in an unincorporated part of Adams County. Ford worked in the jail division and had been with the sheriff’s office for eight years.

Police do not believe there are any other victims.

Former Chief Michael Parker Facing Child Sex Charges

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 Everyone, we received a message earlier stating that this cop may have all charges against him dropped in a plea deal because the chief has twice tried to commit suicide. This cop raped and sodomized a little 7-year-old boy dozens of times in the police chief's office at the police department. We ask that all of our followers like and share this post in hopes it goes viral and that the resulting publicity shames the district attorney enough so that he reconsiders and prosecutes this case.
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A big development in case we've been following. You may recall when the former West Columbia police chief disappeared. Now more than a month later, he's turned up again, and he's been indicted on some very serious charges.

As the child sexual assault case against him moves forward, everyone wants to know -- where had he been?

Last August, Michael Parker was running the West Columbia Police Department. We talked to him then about a suspicious letter he was investigating.

"Given the way things are these days, you never know what's going to show up in your mailbox anymore," Parker told us in August 2012.

Now a year later, Palmer is facing multiple charges, including aggravated sexual assault of a child, and eight counts of tampering with evidence.

The former chief went on the run over a month ago when investigators turned up evidence that he'd bound, gagged and sexually assaulted a young boy, repeatedly, beginning in 1998. They even say they found bondage gear in Palmer's office at the police department.

Police and EquuSearch volunteers spent days trying to find him. He finally turned up Monday, near the town of Brazoria, where investigators with the county district attorney's arrested him.

The DA won't say exactly where he was arrested or where he'd been hiding. Palmer was released Tuesday after posting a $75,000 bond.

He wasn't home Friday when we stopped by.

West Columbia residents we talked to said they're glad he's off the street.

"He's got a problem. He's a sick fella evidently. They certainly need to take care of somebody like that," said resident Ike French.

Palmer lost his job in February before the child sex charges were filed when fellow officers complained he was stealing pain killers taken as evidence in police investigations.

Palmer still faces trial on all of the charges against him. The child sex abuse charges alone are enough to send him to prison for life if he's convicted.

Former Officer Alexis Robinson Arrested for Child Sex Crimes

A former police officer and head of security at a school district was arrested for multiple child sex crimes, now spanning two states.

Alexis Robinson, 51, was out on bond for sex assault charges in Kansas, when he was recently arrested by El Paso County deputies.

Robinson served as a police officer in Wichita, Kan. for 22 years. He retired as a sergeant in 2006. Then he signed on as a security supervisor with a school district in that community.

More than a year ago, police in Kansas started investigating Robinson for sexually assaulting several children after a 24-year-old man came forward saying he had been molested a decade earlier.

According to arrest papers, during that investigation detectives say an accuser in Colorado came forward, years after the alleged sex abuse. The papers say Robinson visited a family several times at their home in El Paso County in the 1990s. During those visits, the papers allege the suspect made the young boy watch pornographic movies and had him perform sexual acts.

Three victims came forward in Wichita and one has come forward in El Paso County. We are told they were all between the ages of 12 and 15 at the time of those alleged crimes.

Robinson is scheduled to be in court again later this week to discuss his bond.

Former Officer Alex Robinson Charged with Sexual Assault on Child

A former Wichita police officer and USD 259 security official is facing additional charges of child sex crimes, this time in Colorado.

This morning, 51-year-old Alex Robinson made his first court appearance in Colorado Springs. He was charged with two counts of sexual assault of a child in a position of trust.

The alleged crimes happened between June 1 and August 31 of 1996, while Robinson was visiting the state. The alleged victim was between 15 and 18 years old.

A preliminary hearing was scheduled for April 25.

Last week, Robinson made his first court appearance in Sedgwick County District Court facing similar charges:

Robinson was charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy and three counts of aggravated indecent liberties in connection to crimes alleged to have occurred between 2000 and 2002. The victim in that case was 12 to 13 years old at the time.

He was also charged with aggravated indecent liberties with an 11-year-old that allegedly happened in June 2012.

Robinson is also facing two counts of indecent liberties with a 14-year-old, alleged to have occurred between August 2011 and September 2012.

He's scheduled to be back in court for a preliminary hearing in Sedgwick County on March 27.

Background:

Robinson was first arrested on similar charges in January of 2013 after a 24-year-old man came forward, alleging sex crimes that happened more than a decade prior when he was a juvenile. Crimes of that nature typically carry a 5-year statute of limitations, but Captain Brent Allred said last year that certain qualifiers could be met allowing charges to be filed in this case, several years after the statute expired.

He was free on bond until being arrested again this week.

Robinson was a 22-year veteran of the Wichita Police Department, retiring as a sergeant in 2006. He then took a job a security supervisor with Wichita Public Schools, but has not been back to work since his first arrest last year. A school district spokesperson said his employment is currently "under review."

Robinson was last interviewed by KAKE News in 2007 after receiving an award from then-President George W. Bush for volunteering more than 17,000 hours at the Boys and Girls Club.

Former Lt. Dennis P Jenks Pleads Guilty to Repeated Sexual Assault of Child

A former Mount Horeb police lieutenant pleaded guilty Monday to repeated sexual assault of a child, for his months-long sexual relationship with a 14-year-old boy who moved into his Madison apartment.

Under a plea agreement, prosecutors will ask for no more than 15 years in prison for Dennis P. Jenks, 45, who was arrested on Feb. 13, 2013, after his relationship with the boy was discovered during the investigation of another sex assault case also involving the boy.

The plea agreement also called for the dismissal of 32 other felonies, including sexual exploitation and possession of child pornography, but Dane County Circuit Judge Ellen Berz can take those charges into consideration when she sentences Jenks on April 21.

Jenks still faces a federal charge of sexual exploitation of a child. But his lawyer, Nicholas Rifelj, told Berz that under an agreement with federal prosecutors, the federal charge would be dismissed if Jenks receives at least 15 years in prison in the state case.

A 15-year sentence is the mandatory minimum for the federal exploitation charge, but because both the state and federal charges arise from the same actions, Jenks could only be given overlapping sentences, not consecutive state and federal sentences.

Jenks resigned from his job with Mount Horeb police after he was charged with sexual assault.

According to a criminal complaint, the boy, a runaway, moved into Jenks’ apartment in October 2012 after meeting on an Internet chat website.

In the meantime, neighbors of James “Alex” Gillespie, a former church music director, complained to police about parties at Gillespie’s home in Middleton. During their investigation, police learned that the 14-year-old boy had been having sex with Gillespie, and that the boy was living with Jenks at the time.

That information led to Jenks’ arrest.

In October, Gillespie was sentenced to 15 years of probation, with one year in jail as part of his probation. He is still serving the jail portion of his sentence.

Jenks could be sentenced to up to 25 years in prison with 15 years of extended supervision for the repeated sexual assault of a child conviction.

Former Officer Patrick Earwood Charged with Molesting Girls Due in Court

A former Cave Spring police officer accused of molesting girls and forcing women into sexual acts is scheduled for an arraignment next month.

Patrick Edward Earwood, 31, remained in jail Friday without bond. Earwood is scheduled to appear April 11 before a Floyd County Superior Court judge.

Earwood has the option of having his charges read to him at the arraignment.

Prosecutors allege Ear wood coerced girls and women to perform sex acts or expose themselves.

Authorities first learned of the allegations when a girl alleged she rode in Earwood’s patrol car, and that he asked her for sex, police reported.

An investigation began, which led detectives to two different women.

According to an order by Superior Court Judge Tami Colston:

The first woman said Earwood arrested her and took her to City Hall. Earwood then told her he’d free her if she gave him oral sex. When she said nothing, Earwood returned her to his patrol car and began driving to the Floyd County Jail.

“On the way to the jail, Defendant Earwood said ‘are you going to do this or not?’” the order states. “She responded, ‘You know, I’m going to have to do this?’ He said yes and pulled off the road.”

The woman performed oral sex on Earwood, and he then took the woman to meet her mother. She did not go to jail.

The second woman said she encountered Earwood when he arrested her for DUI. Earwood said they could “work something out” if her boyfriend wasn’t in the car. She thought little of the comment, and Earwood took her to the police station for a breath test. When she failed the test, Earwood put her in his patrol car and began driving to jail.

“On the way to the jail, Earwood offered to lower one of the traffic charges if she would let him touch her breasts,” the order states. “She moved up closer to him and he fondled her breasts on the way to the jail.”

Earwood faces two counts each of aggravated sodomy, second-degree child cruelty, sexual battery and sexual assault against a person in custody. He also faces charges of aggravated child molestation, child molestation, giving false statements and violation of his oath by a public officer.

Retired Officer Walter Sasse Arrested for Sexual Assault of Teen Girl

A retired Philadelphia police officer has been arrested and charged with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl.

According to Philly, Walter Sasse was charged on Wednesday with a number of crimes, including unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of minors, sexual assault and indecent exposure. In total, he has been charged with nine crimes.

The charges stem from an alleged sexual assault that happened in 2011. However, authorities believe that the 75-year-old had a relationship with the teen for years.

WPVI has reported that Sasse met the victim when she was 15-years-old at Courtesy Stables, where she rode horses. The retired cop was employed by the stables and investigators said that the girl also began working there and that's when the alleged sexual contact started.

Police would not release any further details about the victim because of her age.

Sasse, who is a 20-year veteran of the force, was most recently assigned to the PPD’s mounted unit. He was released on $50,000 bond and is scheduled to be back in court on March 25th.

Corrections Officer Michael Mangarillo Arrested for Sexually Assaulting Child

A New York Corrections officer is behind bars for allegedly sexually assaulting a child.

Police say Michael Mangarillo, 55, sexually abused the 12-year-old girl last year at his Mooers home.

Police say Mangarillo knew the child and the alleged abuse happened while she was visiting him from New Jersey.

Mangarillo works at Altona Correctional Facility. He's being held without bail.

New Jersey Officer Steven Vigorito Jr Charged with Texting Child Explicit Photos

A New Jersey police officer has been arrested and charged after he allegedly pursued sexual contact with a 12-year-old girl, texting her explicit photos of himself in uniform.

According to the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office, Woodland Park Police Officer Steven Vigorito Jr. was charged with attempted aggravated assault, luring and enticing a child, attempted endangering of a child, attempted sex assault and official misconduct.

Investigators said, Vigorito met the girl after responding to a domestic dispute at a home in Woodland Park on April 23. While at the scene, the officer gave the girl his personal cell phone number.

The 12-year-old victim immediately alerted her mother who in turn told authorities.

In the following days, detectives posed as the girl and reached out to Vigorito which prompted several explicit text messages from the 39-year-old officer, including photos where he's in uniform and exposing himself. Officials say some of the photos are believed to have been taken at the station house.

When Vigorito attempted to lure the girl to a location for sex, undercover officers went in and arrested him, officials said.

Vigorito, a 12-year veteran with the Woodland Park Police Department, was arrested Tuesday night while on duty. He was arraigned Wednesday and remains in custody with a $250,000 bond.

"The person called to assist the family, ended up preying on the family," Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes said a press conference Wednesday.

Vigorito has been suspended without pay.

PIX 11 News paid a visit to Vigorito's Woodland Park home Tuesday afternoon. Two women slammed the door at first and quickly closed the garage doors before coming back outside.

"He's not that kind of guy, he's a good guy, he's a clean guy," said a woman who wouldn't identify herself. The home had toys and children's games on the front lawn, and the woman was holding a young child.

Trial Starts for Officer Kenneth Tomlinson II Charged with Sexually Assaulting Boy Scout

The top police officer in a remote eastern Missouri town was ordered to stand trial Monday on charges that he sexually assaulted two members of the Boy Scout troop he led after an investigator testified that the officer had confessed to the crimes.

Kenneth Tomlinson II, 42, faces 16 counts of sodomy. Madison County Judge Robin Fulton set an arraignment date of March 18 following emotional testimony at the preliminary hearing, at which only prosecutors presented evidence. Fulton determined they had enough to warrant a trial.

Tomlinson, who stands about 6-foot-2 and weighs well over 300 pounds, sat passively during the hearing, his wrists cuffed in front of him. The alleged victims, ages 12 and 14, were also in the courtroom but mostly looked away from him.

Fulton closed the hearing to the public during testimony from the boys. The Associated Press generally does not identify those who say they were victims of sex crimes.

During the open session, a teenage girl sobbed as she testified that she became aware of the abuse on Jan. 2, when she found sexually explicit text messages on the 14-year-old boy's phone. She told her parents, who contacted police.

The case was turned over to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Investigator Scott Rawson was the first to interview Tomlinson.

"He dropped his head," Rawson testified. "I said, 'This happened, didn't it?' He shook his head yes."

Rawson said Tomlinson admitted the assaults began last spring, usually on Mondays after Scout meetings, and usually in his truck. Sometimes, Rawson said, Tomlinson would drive the boys to an old lead mine or an industrial park. Other times, the assaults happened at the location of the Scout meetings, Rawson said.

Public defender Susan DeGeorge asked whether Rawson had taped the confession, and Rawson acknowledged he was able to tape only part of it.

A probable cause statement from the Highway Patrol also said Tomlinson admitted videotaping some of the acts. The statement said Tomlinson and the boys viewed the video on the camera screen, then he destroyed the recordings.

Tomlinson joined the police department in Fredericktown — a community of 4,100 about 80 miles southwest of St. Louis — as a patrolman in 1997. He was promoted to captain, the equivalent of the town's police chief, in April. Tomlinson is on unpaid leave until the case is adjudicated, and he remains jailed on a $100,000 cash-only bond.

The judge on Monday denied a request from DeGeorge to reduce the bond and allow Tomlinson to stay near relatives in the Chicago area.

DeGeorge left the hearing without commenting to reporters.

Joe Mueller of the Boy Scouts of America's Greater St. Louis Council said the council has not been contacted by police or prosecutors and officials did not previously know that the victims were members of Tomlinson's Scout troops.

Mueller said Tomlinson had led the troops in Fredericktown since 1998. His association with Scouting was revoked after his arrest.

Corrections Officer James Mikesell Accused of Having Sex with Inmate

A Louisville Metro Corrections officer accused of having sex with an inmate appeared before a judge Monday morning to answer to that charge and others.

During a proceeding that lasted less than five minutes, Officer James Mikesell entered a plea of not guilty in Jefferson District Court.

Mikesell is charged with tampering with physical evidence, sexual assault and official misconduct. The charges stem from what has been described as an "inappropriate relationship" with a female inmate.

"Mr. Mikesell maintains his innocence of all these charges," said Steve Schroering, Mikesell's attorney. "We're awaiting any evidence that they say they have to review that so we can actively defend the case."

Mikesell is on unpaid leave from Metro Corrections and has been removed from a freshman high school coaching position at Butler Traditional High School pending the outcome of the case.

He is scheduled to return to court for a pre-trial hearing March 26.

Additional Charges Have Been Filed Against Officer Jaymin Murphy

Additional charges have been filed against a North Carolina police officer arrested last week and accused of a sexual assault on a girl, authorities said in a news release Tuesday.

Jaymin Lenwood Murphy, an officer in Navassa, N.C., a few miles west of Wilmington, was charged on Thursday after the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office received a report Feb. 15 from the N.C. Department of Social Services that Murphy had sexually assaulted a child between 2005 and 2007 when he lived at the juvenile's home, the news release stated.

The Brunswick County district attorney's office contacted the county Sheriff's Office on Feb. 15 and asked that investigators look into the allegation, filed with the Navassa Police Department.

The Sheriff's Office charged Murphy with first degree rape of a child on Thursday, the release stated.

On Friday, a second girl came forward with a sexual assault allegation against Murphy after learning of his arrest in a news broadcast.

Detectives learned that the second girl was the victim in a case Murphy had investigated in December 2009, while he was employed by Navassa Police Department.

After an investigation into the second girl's allegation, Murphy also was charged with one count of statutory rape, two counts of statutory sex offense, two counts of exploitation of a minor, and three counts of indecent liberties with a minor.

Murphy is currently being held at the Brunswick County Detention Facility in lieu of $1.1 million bail

Former Officer Hamilton Riley Arrested for Child Sexual Assault

A former Searcy police officer was arrested at 1 a.m. Tuesday morning in the bedroom of a 16-year-old girl, according to the White County Prosecuting Attorneys Office.

"Usually, he's here directing the kids and getting them across the street. That's about it," says Andrew Briggs, who saw Hamilton Riley outside Ahlf Junior High on several occasions.

Riley served as the school resource officer for more than three years, and more than seven on the Searcy Police Department.

News that Riley was arrested in the home of a 16-year-old girl is upsetting to parents.

Briggs explains, "Having a son-in-law for a police officer and having children, it's just not right. It's just not right.

Prosecutors confirm information about an inappropriate relationship was developed only on Monday. Special agents from the state police were brought in. And at 1 a.m. Tuesday morning, those special agents arrested Riley inside the victim's home. By 7 a.m. Tuesday morning, Riley had offered his resignation as an officer with the Searcy Police Department.

White County Prosecutor Chris Raff says, "Anytime you see someone that has the trust and authority that a police officer does, and they are further placed in the position of being the go-to person for children and students, it's really a damning thing. It's a terrible situation. What we are alleging he has done is a terrible thing. And we're going to see that the law punishes him."

Tuesday, students at the school were not told about Riley's arrest. Now shocked parents are finding a way to tell their children their police officer won't be coming back

Briggs says, "Young girls and adults, that's just not the way it is."

Authorities released Riley after he posted a $100,000 bond. His next court appearance is in March