Former Patrolman Whitright Pleads Guilty to Sexual Battery
Posted
Craig Brosman-
Former Warsaw Police Department patrolman Timothy S. Whitright pleaded guilty to sexual battery, a Class D felony, this morning in Kosciusko County Superior Court I.
Whitright, along with his lawyer, John Barrett, sat in Judge Duane Huffer’s court early this morning and admitted to touching a 14-year-old child.
By the terms of the plea agreement, count one of child molesting, a Class C felony, and child solicitation, a Class D felony, would be dismissed.
In addition to the dismissal of charges one and two, there will be no limit on the possible sentence that Whitright could receive. By law, a Class D felony holds a possible sentence of six months to three years.
Whitright is also not allowed to contact the victim in any way.
Kosciusko County Prosecuting Attorney Daniel H. Hampton told Huffer that the plea agreement was structured in such a way that the victim and her family could have a part in the process.
Hampton amended the charges to add a third charge of sexual battery for purposes of a plea agreement.
“The victim’s family was very involved in the plea agreement negotiations,” Hampton said. “They played a vital role. The family was satisfied with the plea terms.”
As a result of the plea agreement, Whitright will have to register with the sex offender registry for 10 years and will not be able to carry a gun for the rest of his life.
“He can not be a police officer again,” said Hampton. “He can not carry a weapon, so he can not work in law enforcement.”
Whitright was ordered to go to the Kosciusko County Probation Department and complete a pre-sentence investigation report.
Huffer did not accept or deny the plea and set a plea acceptance hearing for May 23 at 8:30 a.m.
The Whitright case was broke in late November 2011, when someone came to Warsaw Police Department chief of police, Scott Whitaker, with inappropriate contact with a 16-year-old Warsaw Community High School student. On Nov. 23, Whitright resigned from his position as a patrolman with WPD.
Less than a month later, on Dec. 16, criminal charges were brought against Whitright in a separate incident. According to the probable cause affidavit, the girl was at the Whitright’s home with friends and later was given a ride home by Whitright.
During the ride home, Whitright allegedly attempted to solicit sexual favors from the girl, and the girl alleged he touched her in her private area.
The girl told investigators that Whitright told her not to tell anyone and that nobody would believe her because “he’s a cop and (she) was a kid.”
During an interview with investigators, according to the probable cause affidavit, Whitright admitted to asking for sexual contact with the girl and placing his hand on her waist/stomach area and just inside the waistband of her pants, however, Whitright denied that he reached any further into her pants.
