by Christina O'Haver
MESA, Ariz. -- A Mesa police
officer is accused of having sexual contact with two females without their
consent and molesting a child under the age of 15, according to the Maricopa
County Attorney's Office.
A Maricopa Grand Jury
indictment charged 34-year-old Justin Cherry with two counts of sexual assault
and one count of child molestation.
The felony charges stem from an
investigation Cherry conducted while on duty. According to Mesa police, females
who were detained as suspects reported in August 2013 that the officer touched
them during searches.
Mesa police said the officer
was immediately placed on administrative leave and the accusations were
investigated.
The case was presented to the
county attorney's office, and the indictment was handed down late Thursday.
Accompanied by his attorney,
Cherry self-surrendered Friday afternoon after a warrant was issued for his
arrest. He was being held without bond.
Cherry is a 13-year veteran of
the Mesa Police Department.
Maricopa County Attorney Bill
Montgomery said in a statement, "The alleged conduct of this defendant is
not representative of the high degree of professionalism and integrity with
which the Mesa Police Department carries out its duties.
"As my office has
demonstrated in the past, we will not hesitate to prosecute sworn peace
officers when sufficient evidence exists to support charges of criminal
conduct. Those we entrust with enforcing the law will be equally held to
account when they violate it."
Mesa police stated the
following in a press release Friday night:
"This is a unfortunate
event for the community as well as the police department. We believe that this
is an isolated event and immediately placed Cherry on administrative leave upon
the initial complaint. The matter has been investigated and scrutinized by the
county attorney's office to ensure the appropriate charges were presented and
filed.
"There is nothing more
important than the trust of the citizens and community we serve. Remaining
transparent, we want the community to understand that we do hold ourselves to
the highest standard and will not tolerate acts of this nature.
"Moving forward, the men
and women of the Mesa Police Department will continue to provide world-class
police service. Mesa is a great place to live, work and play. With the support
of the community, we will do our best to maintain their trust and protect our
citizens."
