Notable Washington Post “Abused by the badge” investigation includes notable data on sentencing outcomes
The Washington Post today released a series of remarkable pieces as part of an investigative series it calls “Abused by the badge.” The subheadline of this main piece summarizes the main themes: “A Washington Post investigation found hundreds of law enforcement officers in the United States have sexually exploited kids. Many avoid prison time.” Here are additional links to the newest pieces in the series:
This Reason piece about the Post‘s findings helpfully summarizes some of the key sentencing stories:
The investigation revealed a staggering lack of accountability for officers who sexually abuse minors — finding not only that convicted officers often received paltry sentences, but that police departments sometimes rehired officers with child sex abuse convictions.
The Post‘s analysis looked at thousands of court filings, as well as The Henry A. Wallace Police Crime Database, the county’s most comprehensive database of police arrests. The authors found that, between 2005 and 2022, around 17,700 police officers were charged with crimes — and 1 in 10 of those were charged with a crime involving the sexual abuse of minors.
The crimes officers were charged with varied, though most charges were for a few specific offenses. According to the Post‘s analysis, 39 percent of officers charged with child sexual abuse crimes were charged with rape. Twenty percent were charged with crimes related to child sexual abuse material (another term for child pornography) and 19 percent were charged with forcible fondling.
Eighty-three percent of charged officers were convicted. However, only 61 percent of convicted officers received prison time. Fifteen percent received local jail sentences, and a striking 24 percent received sentences as light as probation, fines, and community service. But even those imprisoned received relatively light sentences. Half were sentenced to less than five years in jail.
Why did so many officers seem to get off easy for heinous sex crimes? According to the Post, it comes down to how prosecutors and judges treat police officers. “Prosecutors have broad discretion in the types of charges they bring, the plea bargains they offer and the cases they are willing to take to trial,” the Post‘s analysis reads. “Judges play a critical role at sentencing hearings in determining what punishment officers deserve.”
Because there is no national data about sentencing outcomes in cases involving other types of persons sexually abusing minors, it is impossible to compare the outcomes detailed by the Post for officers to other sets of offenders. But the Post‘s suggestion that these officer offenders are being treated relatively leniently seems sound. And many might reasonably argue that secual abuse of a minor committed my an officer ought to lead to even harsher punishment than would be given to other offenders, especially if the officer used his position to facilitate the crime.