NEW ORLEANS - A ten-year veteran of the New Orleans Police Department who was arrested for the rape of a 13-year-old girl, had faced similar accusations before, Superintendent Warren Riley said at a Wednesday morning press briefing.
Christopher Buckley, 36, was with the Fifth District before resigning Tuesday, said NOPD spokesman Bob Young.
According to Riley, the rapes of the teen happened three times over the past two to three weeks at the home of the mother of the victim.
Buckley faces three counts of forcible rape for which the penalty range is between five and 40 years in prison, and three counts of oral sexual battery, for which the penalty is up to 10 years in jail.
“This did occur at the mother's home while the mother was at work,” the Superintendent said.
Riley also said a 16-year-old girl, a 15-year-old girl and a 12-year-old girl made similar allegations against Buckley in 2001 and 2003.
“In both cases, the District Attorney's office refused charges citing failure of the victims or the victims parents to cooperate,” Riley said.
NOPD never arrested him and both DA Harry Connick in 2001, and DA Eddie Jordan in 2003, didn't charge him with a crime.
Buckley was reassigned to desk duty during the investigations, but the NOPD never took any administrative action against him.
“I can tell you what I would do. He would not be a part of the New Orleans Police Department. But that was not my administration. Now, I'm not judging the previous administration, I'm just telling you what I would have done in that circumstance,” Riley said.
“Internally, within the Police Department, they could've stepped up and taken action on their own,” said Norris Henderson, Co-Director of watchdog group Safe Streets, Strong Communities. He added that he believes the NOPD needs to “weed out” the officers who don’t abide by the law.
Buckley's arrest marks the fourth New Orleans Police Officer charged with a sex-related crime just in the past year.
Luis Rivas resigned after being accused of extorting sex from a DWI suspect. He pled guilty to sexual malfeasance.
Jason Allen resigned after a suspect alleged he made sexual advances toward her. He pled guilty to false imprisonment.
And last week, Officer Carlos Peralta pleaded not guilty to forcible rape.
He's still on the force, but is currently reassigned to desk duty.
“I think with the direction that this city is moving with accountability across the board, we have the independent police monitor, that people can feel comfortable now that if they make a complaint against anybody that something decisive will happen,” Henderson said.
He applauded Riley's swift action, and said once the city's Independent Police Monitor is in place, that it should keep cases like Buckley's from happening again.
The Orleans Parish DA's office wouldn't comment on the current or past investigations into Christopher Buckley, or whether or not they plan to accept the current charges against him.
Anyone that can do this to a child should face the same punishment then be put out of their misery because they are sick and can't be helped. This is also another example that this country has more criminals writing and enforce the laws than we have prisoners!
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. I would've been arrested as well and I would've saved the taxpayers a lot of money because he would be gone by now, had he done this to my daughter.
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Originally Posted by Gilbrit
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