FORMER MADISON POLICE OFFICER ARRESTED FOR SEX CRIMES AGAINST A CHILD, POLICE SAY
December 19, 2019
Logan Rude
Channel 3000
MADISON, Wis. - A former Madison police officer was arrested on suspicion of repeated sexual assault of a child, child enticement and misconduct in public office, according to a news release.
Law enforcement officials in Florida took 56-year-old Morris A. Reid into custody Wednesday after a warrant was filed, the release said. Police said they had been investigating Reid since July, when one Madison woman contacted the Madison Police Department to report a series of crimes involving Reid that began in 2009 when he was still a Madison police officer.
According to the release, the victim, who was 15 at the time, was enticed into a sexual relationship with Reid that lasted for several years. Multiple sexual assaults took place in a variety of locations, including a Madison Police Department squad car. Police said the victim reported being threatened and confined, including some off-duty encounters where the victim was placed in handcuffs
"The fact that the victim came forth to us, contacted us and worked with us throughout the process shows that she still has trust in MPD and recognizes that this is an aberration, an outlier, and doesn't represent who we are or what we are as a department, just what he did as an individual," interim Chief Vic Wahl said.
Police said they were unaware of the crimes until the victim came forward this year. Wahl said that describing what they felt as shock is an understatement.
"It's something where, obviously, I personally feel bad for the victim and what she's had to endure," Wahl said. "Certainly disappointment and anger over what he's done to damage the reputation of MPD."
In 2012, Reid was investigated for a series of allegations, including mishandling evidence, damaging property and an incident of engaging in sexual conduct while on duty, the release said.
The district attorney determined the incidents didn't meet the burden of proof necessary for a prosecution. Reid chose to resign rather than face termination proceedings, according to the release.
Police said Reid has lived in Florida since 2017 and that he was not working as a police officer at the time of his arrest.
https://www.channel3000.com/news/crime/former-madison-police-officer-arrested-for-sex-crimes-against-a-child-police-say/1152815860
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