A member of the San Jose Police Department was charged with forcibly raping a woman while he was on duty.
According to Santa Clara County prosecutors who spoke with the Los Angeles Times, 38-year-old Geoffrey Graves sexually assaulted a woman involved in a domestic disturbance.
Graves, along with three other law enforcement officials, traveled to a San Francisco Bay Area home in response to reports of a household argument.
The officers arrived at the residence on Sept. 22, 2013, and investigated the situation. They concluded that both the husband and wife were intoxicated, but that no serious crime happened.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the wife, who worked as a maid for a local hotel, told officers that she was going to spend the night at a motel where she'd once been employed.
Police familiar with the investigation said Graves dropped the woman off at the hotel at around 2:30 a.m. The police officer, who was working alone, knocked on the door about 15 minutes after the woman retrieved her key and went into her room.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney's office's statement said that Graves entered the room, took hold of the victim, and shoved her onto the bed.
"The defendant took off parts of his uniform. The defendant removed the victim's pants and undergarment. The defendant climbed on top of the victim while she resisted with verbal and physical communication. The defendant forcibly engaged in sexual intercourse with the victim before leaving the hotel approximately ten minutes later," the report read.
The San Jose Police Department first received a report on the crime in October of last year, the LA Times reported. An investigation was immediately opened into the allegations, but it wasn't until Tuesday that prosecutors confirmed physical proof that supported the woman's statements.
"This is an extremely serious allegation, and if proven true, the officer will be held accountable," San Jose Police Chief Larry Esquivel said. "While this incident is very troubling and tugs at our integrity, it is an isolated incident and by no means a reflection of our officers who perform their duties with honor and professionalism on a daily basis."
