Authorities say that a former Los Angeles Police Department officer, Kenneth Collard, age 52, pleaded guilty this week to sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl. The victim in this case is the daughter of one of Collard’s co-workers at the LAPD. The plea involved two counts of performing a lewd act upon a child. The L.A. County district attorney’s office issued a statement saying that Collard is expected to receive five years in prison as part of the plea.
According to authorities, Collard was staying with another officer in April of 2018 in Torrance. In the middle of the night, he entered the child’s bedroom and assaulted her. He was arrested several weeks later, following an investigation and forensic evidence analysis. The original charge in Collard’s case was three counts of committing a lewd act upon a child and a single count of sexual penetration by a foreign object. The original charges came with a prison sentence of up to 32 years behind bars.
Collard, a 20-year veteran of the LAPD was assigned to the department’s West L.A. division. Following the criminal charges, he resigned. A spokesman for the department noted that he had “tarnished the badge.”
Despite the shocking nature of Collard’s crimes, this is not the first time in recent years that an LAPD officer has been the subject of sexual abuse claims. In 2018, former LAPD officer Robert Cain entered a plea of guilty to having sex with an LAPD Cadet program member who was just 15 years old. This case led to a review of additional misconduct centered around the popular youth program. And just last month, an LAPD detective filed a civil suit against LAPD officer Daniel Reedy. The detective claims that Reedy blackmailed her and forced her to have a sexual encounter with him.
Police Not Above the Law
As this case shows, police, whether with the LAPD or elsewhere, are not above the law. Police misconduct is a real phenomenon, and the police misconduct attorney in Los Angeles at JML Law knows how intimidating and scary it can be to come forward with allegations of wrongdoing against a police officer. Our compassionate attorneys are here to help.
Police misconduct may include actions ranging from harassment to police brutality, coercion, blackmail, forced confessions, abuse of authority, and racial profiling. Planting evidence, tampering with witnesses, and other non-regulation behaviors by police fall under the police misconduct umbrella.
Can We Help
Police misconduct is scary since the police are in positions of authority. We trust them to help keep us, our families, and our neighborhoods safe from harm. When police go against regulations or even break the law, it can have a long-lasting effect not just on the victim, but on the community too. Communities begin to mistrust the police in general, leading to additional problems. If you have been harmed by a police officer or a victim of police misconduct, don’t keep it to yourself. Reach out to JML Law to speak with our Los Angeles police misconduct attorney right away. Dial 818-610-8800 to arrange a confidential, no-cost consultation today.
