WASHINGTON — A Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer has been arrested on child sex abuse charges.
According to a press release from MPD, 49-year-old Lucius Kearney allegedly sexually abused an underage girl on multiple occasions in D.C. between September 2005 and June 2006.
MPD says Kerney has been employed with the department since 2001. The department said Wednesday Kerney's "police powers" had been revoked and he was in a "duty status that does not require him to interact with the public." On Thursday, MPD updated his status, telling WUSA9 that Kerney has been placed on administrative leave with pay with a proposed indefinite suspension served.
Court documents show that the victim claims she met Kerney when she was in 10th grade. The victim said she interviewed Kerney for an assignment for history class and exchanged phone numbers with him afterward in case she had any more questions.
The victim claims she and Kerney started texting a short time later, explaining those conversations eventually crossed a line.
The victim told officials the abuse started when she was 15 and Kerney was 34, and that the two met up again a few years later when she was 17.
In court documents, the victim says she blocked out a number of incidents with Kerney but vividly remembers at least three of the abusive encounters.
According to court documents, the victim recently spotted Kerney walking to a police car parked in front of her neighbor's house. She said she was shocked but still spoke to him.
MPD Internal Affairs searched through Kerney's body camera footage and found the recent interaction between the two. Court documents give a look into the short conversation:
Kerney: How you doing? You know this Ia....You know this lady?
Kerney: No? Ok. (Turns to enter his vehicle)
Kerney: (Turning back toward the complainant) Officer Kearney
Victim: I know you
Kerney: Oh yeah, From where? (The complainant walks away)
(Kerney goes to sit in the driver's seat of his car)
Kerney: Oh god.
After the conversation, court documents say Kerney searched a tag number owned by the victim on his on-board police computer. He then took out his phone and uses it out of view of his body camera. Less than 2 minutes later, he can be heard saying "how in the world did I f****** manage to do that?"
According to court documents, the victim told her therapist about the abuse after seeing Kerney.
Kerney was arrested on December 6 and has been charged with First Degree Child Sex Abuse.
The woman suffered a broken eye socket, broken cheekbone, facial swelling and severe bleeding from the beating.