Former Killen police officer Jarrod Gailen Webster was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to deprivation of rights under color of law and sexual exploitation of children.
"This sentence sends a clear message that such criminal conduct will not be tolerated," said U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama. "I commend the dedication of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors to ensure that Webster was held accountable for his actions."
According to court documents, Webster sexually assaulted a woman while on duty and received sexually explicit photos of a minor.
The incident with the woman happened during a traffic stop in November 2023. Webster asked the woman what she wanted to do to "get out of this." After the woman refused the offer, he handcuffed her and sexually assaulted her.
The explicit photos were received between June 2016 and October 2018 while Webster was communicating with a minor by phone. He requested sexually explicit images from the minor victim.
"Jarrod Webster forcibly assaulted a woman after a traffic stop, and exploited a minor to receive sexually explicit images," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "This was a gross abuse of his authority as a police officer and a betrayal of the public trust. I am proud of our DOJ Civil Rights team for holding him accountable."
"Law enforcement officers are entrusted with significant responsibility and are therefore held to a higher standard," said Special Agent in Charge David R. Fitzgibbons of the FBI Birmingham Field Office. "Today's sentencing clearly demonstrates there are serious consequences when someone tarnishes the badge by breaking the law. Jerrod Webster brought shame to the badge by committing the horrific crimes of sexually assaulting a woman in his care and receiving sexually explicit images of a minor. His sentencing confirms that the FBI has zero tolerance for officials who prey on the citizens they are sworn to protect."
The FBI Birmingham Field Office investigated the case.
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