Former Va. school resource officer escapes prison with reduced charges in rape case www.privateofficer.com

Albermarle County VA April 11 2012 Originally charged with rape, a former school resource officer and reserve deputy with the Albemarle County Sheriff’s Office entered a plea agreement Monday morning in the county’s Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, pleading guilty to assault and battery of a family member.

Sean M. Horn, who was arrested in January, entered an agreement that reduced his charge to a misdemeanor offense.

Horn was sentenced to 12 months in jail, but all of that time was suspended. Horn will not be required to pay a fine, and has already paid court costs associated with the case, said attorney J. Lloyd Snook, who represented Horn in the matter.

Horn’s court date was originally scheduled for Monday at 11:30 a.m., but was moved to 9:30 a.m. with no advance notice.

An arrest warrant stated that Horn had sexual intercourse with a victim, an adult, while the victim was mentally incapacitated or physically helpless. The warrant said Horn committed the offense over Thanksgiving weekend.

“Our contention is that there was no rape,” Snook said.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Denise Lunsford, who led the prosecution in the matter, disagreed.

“I believe that the facts asserted support the original charge,” she said in a telephone interview.

Lunsford said the plea agreement went forward at the request of “the victim,” who Lunsford said preferred to settle the matter without going through the trial process. Lunsford added that the commonwealth’s attorneys are “guided in large part” by the wants of the victim in sexual assault cases.

Snook agreed that none of the parties involved would have benefited from a trial.

At the time of Horn’s arrest, The Daily Progress reported that the incident was not related to Horn’s duties as a police officer.

During his time with the county police, Horn was stationed as a school resource officer at Burley Middle School. At the time of Horn’s arrest, Sgt. Darrell Byers said that Horn served as a school resource officer for seven years, ending in 2010. Horn was sworn in as a reserve deputy in May 2011.

Horn, who was released on a $5,000 secured bond shortly after his arrest, was also previously employed with the University of Virginia Police Department.

Sheriff J.E. “Chip” Harding told The Daily Progress that he sent a letter decommissioning Horn from service the day after his arrest. Snook confirmed that Horn is no longer employed with the county.
Source:daily progress

Albemarle County Sheriff’s deputy charged with rape www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Albemarle County VA Jan 6 2012 A reserve deputy with the Albemarle County Sheriff’s Office is facing a rape charge. Sean M. Horn has worked as a law enforcement officer for the University of Virginia and Albemarle County Departments.

He is currently being held at the Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail. A bond hearing is set for January 6 in the Albemarle County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

The NBC29 news room received the following press release from the Albemarle County Police Department:

The Albemarle County Police have conducted a thorough investigation regarding a reported rape. As such warrants have been obtained for Sean M. Horn.

Horn is a former law enforcement officer of the following locations: the University of Virginia Police Department and the Albemarle County Police Department. Horn is currently a Reserve Deputy with the Albemarle County Sheriff’s Office.

Horn has been charged with rape and is currently being held at the Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail pending a bond hearing on January 6, 2012 in the Albemarle County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

Source:NBC29