A police officer indicted by a grand jury of rape and sodomy of a minor has pleaded guilty to lesser charges in order to avoid a trial.
It all started when Kentucky-resident Jasmine Lindsey decided to inform the department of an unusual relationship.
She found it very odd that her friends’ 15-year-old daughter used to hang out with former state trooper 32-year-old Stratford Young.
The whistleblower adds the girl’s mother knew of the liaison and was not comfortable with it.
Lindsey says the pair met almost every night of the week and she saw them engage in sexual acts.
According to her, the girl was hopelessly in love and Young promised her that he would wait until she was old enough to declare their relationship.
During this time the reluctant mother allowed another police officer to come and hang out with the two. Lindsey says it all ended up becoming a “big party house”.
In June 2013 she decided it was time to report the matter.
This is when she raised a red flag with the authorities. She says she lost her friend and it has caused her a lot of agony, not only does she suffer from emotional health issues, but also heart hurt problems.
However, for what it was worth a further in-depth investigation ensued following her tip-off.
The elaborate scrutiny incorporated 148 pieces of evidence, which included: cell phone records, interviews – both audio and video, and several photographs.
The girl and her parents were also interviewed.
Three months later Young was fired.
Along with him three other officers also lost their jobs.
One of the men, Chris Woosley resigned; it is still unclear whether the other two, Jerry Clanton and Todd Matti, left out of their own volition or were discharged by the department.
Disturbingly, all four ex-cops were accused of having a sexual relationship with the same girl.
Clanton says he did not know that she was underage.
Young requested to get his job back after being fired, but his appeal was denied. He also tried to have the case dismissed, stating that a police officer is not “a person of the party opposition of special trust” under the Kentucky Statute.
Six months later, in March 2014, a Meade County grand jury indicted Young and Matti for rape and sodomy.
The former pleaded not guilty to these accusations. Matti’s trial is scheduled for April 2016 and Young is set to appear in court for sentencing in November this year.
Last month Young’s attorney asked the court to dismiss his indictment citing selective prosecution.
On October 1, Judge Bruce Butler suggested that Young should spend two years in prison on each count of rape followed by a five-year period of probation, but his sentence will be decided on November 19.
However, Young decided to plead guilty to lesser charges. He admitted to three counts of unlawful transaction with a minor in the second-degree.
His attorney Kenton Smith has recommended that he should serve no jail time and should be given a sentence of two years on each charge running concurrently with five years of probation.
“He’s made mistakes and he’s paid a heavy price.
He’s lost his career and his home. The outcome is bittersweet for everybody. No one is happy with this situation. I think it was the best result for all concerned. A trial would’ve been messy and difficult for all concerned,” he further commented.
Smith says Matti’s case should not be affected by Young’s plea deal.
The prosecutor’s office is yet to make a decision on the case of the other two accused officers.
