Feds accuse vice officer of forcing women into sex
Source: Associated Press
Feds accuse vice officer of forcing women into sex
By ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS
March 11, 2019
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) A longtime police officer forced women to have sex with him under threat of an arrest, pressured others to help cover up crimes, and lied to federal investigators when he said hed never had sex with prostitutes, according to charges unveiled Monday.
Columbus vice squad Officer Andrew Mitchell, 55, was arrested Monday and faces a detention hearing this week. He is charged with witness tampering, obstruction of justice, making a false statement to federal investigators, and deprivation of rights under color of law, the language used to describe crimes committed by police officers while on duty.
A federal indictment accused Mitchell, a 30-year veteran, of arresting two different women and forcing them to have sex before he would release them.
Later, during the federal investigation, Mitchell lied when he told the FBI hed never had sex with a prostitute, since Mitchell knew he has had sex with numerous prostitutes, including having paid women money for sex, according to the indictment.
Committing the alleged crimes while on duty is a nightmarish breach of trust, said Ben Glassman, the U.S. attorney for the southern half of Ohio.
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Read more:
https://apnews.com/3012e2010e654fa18a3edc0e3fd5c8ad
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Related:
Vice Detective Arrested and Charged with Depriving Victims' Civil Rights, Witness Tampering, Obstructing Justice (U.S. Attorney's Office - Southern District of Ohio)