Former Jackson County Sheriff's Deputy Steven W. Burgess pleaded guilty Thursday to sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl while she was detained on July 24, 2007.
The 35-year-old Independence man is facing 14 years in prison.
The facts are pretty twisted.
Here's how the Department of Justice described it in a press release:
Burgess then put the victim in handcuffs and, while patting her down, inappropriately touched her in a sexual manner. Burgess removed the handcuffs and told her to get in the car, keep the door open and her feet touching the ground outside the car. Burgess stood in front of her and compelled her to perform oral sex on him while she sat in his patrol vehicle. At one point, Burgess made her get on her knees to perform oral sex on him.Really, guy? You thought that'd be OK?
Afterward, Burgess took the victim to her aunt's house. He told her that she could not tell anyone about the forced oral sex, or he would disclose that she had been caught in the park drinking.
This kind of crime even gets under the skin of U.S. Attorney Matt Whitworth.
In a press release, Whitworth wrote:
"We will not tolerate such a heinous offense, especially by an officer abusing his position of authority."A long prison term will hold him accountable for his repugnant behavior and make it clear that nobody is above the law."
Burgess is scheduled to be sentenced after a pre-sentence investigation.
This seems like the final stop before prison for Burgess.
On December 18, 2007, Burgess pleaded guilty to second-degree statutory sodomy and deviate sexual activity.
In March 2008, he was sentenced to 14 years prison time, but a Jackson County judge suspended the sentence and gave him five years of probation.
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