KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy is accused of forcing a teenage girl to perform sexual acts in his patrol car.
Steven W. Burgess, 35, of Independence, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for violating the civil rights of the 15-year-old girl, United States Attorneys said Friday.
The alleged incident happened in a park in Sibley, Mo., on July 24, 2007, when Burgess was a deputy. According to the indictment, Burgess violated the victim’s right not to be deprived of liberty without due process of law, which includes the right to bodily integrity.
The indictment alleges Burgess committed acts that include aggravated sexual abuse, using force against his victim and placing her in fear of death, serious bodily injury and kidnapping.
Burgess was arrested Friday after an investigation by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI. He had previously pleaded guilty in Jackson County Court to molesting the same girl, a representative with the United States Attorney's Office said.
Just over a year ago, Burgess was sentenced to seven years in prison, but a judge allowed him to only serve probation. Burgess resigned from the sheriff's department when the girl reported the attack.
