Grand Jury Indicts Former Maypearl Police Chief On Child Sex Charges
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ELLIS COUNTY (CBSDFW.COM) - Former Maypearl Police Department Chief Kevin Coffey has been indicted for allegedly having an improper sexual relationship with a child while he was in office.
A Grand Jury indicted Coffey of separate offenses all related to the same underage victim. The four 2nd and 3rd degree felony charges are:
- Sexual Performance by a Child
- Sexual Assault of a Child
- Indecency with a Child by Contact
- Indecency with a Child by Exposure
NewsRadio 1080 KRLD legal analyst Ed Klein says each charge carries it's own elements. "It's different levels of offenses, it's different types of acts committed against the child."
According to officials, Coffey had allegedly been carrying on a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl. It was reportedly a relationship that involved him exposing himself, having online video chats with and sexually touching the teen. In at least one situation the now 50-year-old former Chief allegedly grabbed the girl's hair and kissed her, before inappropriately touching her.
Parents of the now 16-year-old girl say Coffey made contact with the teen by cell phone and in person for more than two years. When interviewed the girl said Coffey first contacted her on Facebook.
Klein says public officials don't have a good track record when facing possible punishment for abuse of power. "He's going to be held to a higher standard than your average civilian, when his case is presented in court. The public is going to demand that he be punished for abusing that trust."
Johnson County investigators say they will present a separate case to a Grand Jury, involving a separate incident, when Coffey was still a patrol officer.
If convicted Coffey faces a total of up to 70 years in prison.
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