Photo: State of California
CALIFORNIA – A former police officer pleaded guilty Friday to sexually assaulting a woman who he was taking to jail for being intoxicated, and as part of a plea agreement, he will serve five years in prison, according to officials.
Former Officer Bryan Robert Benson with the Anderson Police Department plead guilty today in federal court to a civil rights offense for sexually assaulting a woman while transporting her to jail on May 29, 2010.
Benson, 29, pleaded guilty to one felony count of deprivation of rights under color of law.
“Members of the public have a right and an expectation that they can look to the police for help and safety,” said U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner for the Eastern District of California.. “When a police officer abuses that trust for his own criminal purposes, he violates his duty to protect the public, undermines the effectiveness of his fellow officers, and subverts the rule of law.”
According to the factual basis in his plea agreement filed with the court today, Benson transported the victim, to the Shasta County Jail after she was arrested for driving under the influence.
Before arriving at the jail, officials said Benson pulled into a parking lot. There, he falsely reported by police radio to dispatch that he had arrived at the jail when, in fact, he had not, officials said.
Benson got out of the car, opened the passenger side door of the car, removed the victim from the passenger seat, and led her to the back of the police car. He pulled down the victim’s shorts and underwear and engaged in intercourse with her against the police car without her consent.
The offense resulted in bodily injury to the victim, including physical pain and bruising.
Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 15. Benson also faces a fine of up to $250,000.
“In sexually assaulting a woman in his custody, the defendant betrayed his oath to uphold the law, violated the trust placed in him by society, and, most regrettably, caused untold harm to the victim,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels for the Civil Rights Division. “The department will continue to hold such offenders accountable.”
Defense attorneys had maintained that Benson and the woman had consensual sex.