Crime And Law

Woman speaks out about ex-trooper charged with sex crimes

A Trotwood woman said back in January 2015 a state trooper pulled her over on U.S. 35, and then groped her.

RELATED: Former state trooper facing additional sex charges in Preble County

Now, four and a half years later, she spoke to News Center 7’s Sean Cudahy about how she hopes she, and the trooper’s three other accusers, might be able to get justice.

A Preble County grand jury indicted former Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper Christopher Ward on two counts of sexual battery with a sexually violent predator specification. He previously was charged with three counts of gross sexual imposition, and one GSI counts was increased to a felony, according to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.

“Hard to keep composure telling the story and not break down and be sad,” said the woman, who did not want to be identified.

She told her story to News Center 7 four and a half years ago, and said she’s told investigators over and over again ... She said Ward took a pat-down way too far.

“It really affected me in my life and it still affects me in my life. It’s always in the back of your mind. Makes it a little harder to trust people that you’re supposed to be able to trust,” she said.

But it wasn’t until earlier this year that Ward faced charges. By that point, investigators said, he allegedly assaulted other woman in what the Ohio AG Dave Yost called Monday “a behavior of repeated predatory sexual assault.”

The Trotwood woman said she thinks the case got swept under the rug for too long.

“To him it made it seem like, I did it this time and I got away with it. Maybe I should do it again,” she said.

But with Ward now facing five felony charges, she said he hopes she gets justice, for her and for the other accusers.

“Also a little bit of closure knowing that something’s coming of it,” she said.

Closure she said, would hopefully help her move on in her life, with a career, she hopes, as a police officer.

“To help make sure this kind of stuff doesn’t happen and help be able to make people feel comfortable and trust their community and their law enforcement so no one has to feel this way,” she said.

Despite more accusers coming forward, Yost said the investigation is not over. He wants anyone with more information about Ward to call the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation at 1-855-BCI-OHIO (1-855-224-6446).

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