Courier-Journal: LMPD hid almost 750,000 records documenting sexual abuse of minors by officers

[mahatmakanejeeves]

David Fahrenthold Retweeted

Louisville Courier-Journal has been doing an amazing job of late.

Link to tweet

This appeared at DU three and a half years ago:

Thu Mar 9, 2017: Lawsuit alleges sex abuse in Louisville police Explorer Program

[Bayard]

1. Holy Crap!!

Some serious investigation and clean up required. I used to know some good cops on there, but they're long gone.

LCJ must have some dynamite new reporters.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. Louisville police, county attorney's office hide 738,000 records in Explorer sex abuse case

Crime / Courts

Louisville police, county attorney's office hide 738,000 records in Explorer sex abuse case

Andrew Wolfson
Louisville Courier Journal

Louisville Metro Police concealed at least 738,000 records documenting the sexual abuse of Explorer Scouts by two officers — then lied to keep the files from the public, records show. ... The Courier Journal last year requested all records regarding sexual abuse of minors by two officers in the Explorer Scout program for youths interested in law enforcement careers. ... Police officials and the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office said they couldn't comply, insisting all the records had been turned over to the FBI for its investigation.

But that wasn't true, according to records The Courier Journal recently obtained in the appeal of its open records case. ... In fact, the department still had at least 738,000 records, which the city allowed to be deleted. ... The records could shed light on when department and city officials first learned of allegations of sexual abuse of youths by officers in the program and what the officials did — or failed to do — about it.

{snip}

Explorer program riddled with sex abuse claims

The Explorer scandal began to unfold in October 2016, when the police department confirmed an officer was under investigation for his conduct in the program for young people considering careers in law enforcement. ... Five months later, a 22-year-old identified as N.C. alleged in a lawsuit he was sexually abused by officers Kenneth Betts and Brandon Wood in the Explorer program when he was between 17 and 19 years old and that the abuse occurred in their homes and police cars.

The suit, which six other plaintiffs later joined, also accused the city, the police department and then-Lt. Curtis Flaherty, who ran the program, of conspiring to cover up the abuse. The defendants, who also include the Boy Scouts of America, later denied the allegations. ... The Courier Journal and other news outlets then reported Betts had been investigated in 2013 and 2014 for improper conduct with a female Explorer scout, but Conrad closed the investigation when Betts resigned in 2014. ... On March 13, 2017, {Mayor Greg Fischer} shut the program down.

{snip}