Posted 3:40 am Saturday, December 08, 2007
Deputy Charged With Child Indecency
BY PHILLIP WILLIAMS
Special Correspondent
GILMER-An Upshur County sheriff's deputy who admitted to repeatedly inappropriately touching an 11-year-old girl was fired Friday after turning himself in on a charge of indecency with a child, authorities said.
Richard Louis Bridgewater, 29, of Big Sandy, is charged with one felony count, but could face more charges, said Upshur County District Attorney Billy Byrd. He is accused of touching the girl inappropriately on or about Nov. 20.
Bridgewater was confined under $25,000 bond in Titus County Jail at Mount Pleasant, where he was transferred "for his safety" since he is a former Upshur County jailer, said Byrd. Byrd and Sheriff Anthony Betterton, who fired the patrol deputy, announced the arrest at an afternoon news conference at the Upshur County Justice Center.
The case surfaced late last week when the girl "made some outcries and statements" to her friends at school, said Byrd. The child later told a forensic interviewer that Bridgewater inappropriately touched her "up to 20 separate times" at his home, the prosecutor said.
Bridgewater admitted to the allegations when interviewed Thursday by Texas Ranger Ronny Griffith, but was not arrested then, said Byrd. Griffith had told the suspect in advance that he would be free to leave the "non-custodial" interview in Longview, according to a written statement signed by Byrd and the Ranger.
Authorities contacted Bridgewater on Friday, and he voluntarily turned himself in that morning to the sheriff's office in Gilmer, the district attorney said. The allegations go back about a year, he said.
"You don't suspect one of your own to commit an offense like this," a grim-faced Betterton said after the news conference. "It's upsetting that one of our own deputies would commit a crime like this."
The sheriff said Bridgewater had been with the sheriff's office about a year, initially hired as a jailer in October 2006. Bridgewater was transferred to the patrol division last October, and "we've had no problems" with him, Betterton told the Tyler Morning Telegraph.
"He was doing a good job in the jail," said Betterton, who said Bridgewater had undergone routine psychological testing and a routine background check before being hired.
During the news conference, Byrd said Bridgewater previously worked briefly for the Overton and Big Sandy police departments. The suspect has lived in Upshur County since about 2001, the prosecutor said.
The district attorney said investigation of the case will continue, and that he didn't know when he would present it to the county's grand jury. He pledged that Bridgewater would receive "no special treatment or favors."
If convicted of the second-degree felony, the defendant could face 2-20 years in prison, a fine up to $10,000, and lifetime registration as a sex offender.
"Certainly, it's unfortunate" when a peace officer is accused of a crime, the prosecutor said. Betterton said this was only the second of his officers to face legal trouble in his nearly seven years as sheriff.
Byrd, a Republican, praised Betterton, a Democrat who has filed for re-election in 2008, for his handling of the matter. Betterton said after the news conference he had recommended a Texas Ranger conduct the investigation.
When the child told her friends at school of the allegations, they in turn told their parents, who contacted the school counselor, said Byrd. As law requires, Big Sandy ISD then called the Child Protective Services hotline, the district attorney said.
Byrd said he and Betterton became aware of the allegations Monday. The prosecutor said Betterton and some members of the sheriff's staff met with him Monday, and that Betterton "rightly" requested that an agency other than his office investigate the case.
Betterton said he initially put Bridgewater on paid administrative leave Monday. Byrd said also met Monday with Ranger Griffith and a CPS investigator.
The forensic interviewer who talked to the child Tuesday was from the Winnsboro office of the Children's Advocacy Center, a state agency, the district attorney said.
In the written complaint signed by Byrd and Griffith, Griffith said he contacted the child's mother and set up the interview. Griffith said that after meeting the girl and her mother for the first time at the center, he "attended the interview" by witnessing it from "a secure room through a two-way mirror," and listening to the child's statement.
The girl "was able to identify the defendant and stated that he had been touching her multiple times throughout the past year" with his hands, Griffith wrote.
The complaint also said Griffith contacted Bridgewater Thursday "and asked if he would be willing" to come to the Texas Department of Public Safety office in Longview "to give a non-custodial statement regarding the allegations made against him."
Bridgewater drove to the office and met Griffith, who wrote that he "asked the defendant if he would be willing to give a non-custodial statement regarding the allegations and that no matter what, he would be free to leave on his own free will at anytime."
Griffith said he took a written statement from Bridgewater admitting he touched the inappropriately "beginning approximately one year ago."
Special Correspondent
GILMER-An Upshur County sheriff's deputy who admitted to repeatedly inappropriately touching an 11-year-old girl was fired Friday after turning himself in on a charge of indecency with a child, authorities said.
Richard Louis Bridgewater, 29, of Big Sandy, is charged with one felony count, but could face more charges, said Upshur County District Attorney Billy Byrd. He is accused of touching the girl inappropriately on or about Nov. 20.
Bridgewater was confined under $25,000 bond in Titus County Jail at Mount Pleasant, where he was transferred "for his safety" since he is a former Upshur County jailer, said Byrd. Byrd and Sheriff Anthony Betterton, who fired the patrol deputy, announced the arrest at an afternoon news conference at the Upshur County Justice Center.
The case surfaced late last week when the girl "made some outcries and statements" to her friends at school, said Byrd. The child later told a forensic interviewer that Bridgewater inappropriately touched her "up to 20 separate times" at his home, the prosecutor said.
Bridgewater admitted to the allegations when interviewed Thursday by Texas Ranger Ronny Griffith, but was not arrested then, said Byrd. Griffith had told the suspect in advance that he would be free to leave the "non-custodial" interview in Longview, according to a written statement signed by Byrd and the Ranger.
Authorities contacted Bridgewater on Friday, and he voluntarily turned himself in that morning to the sheriff's office in Gilmer, the district attorney said. The allegations go back about a year, he said.
"You don't suspect one of your own to commit an offense like this," a grim-faced Betterton said after the news conference. "It's upsetting that one of our own deputies would commit a crime like this."
The sheriff said Bridgewater had been with the sheriff's office about a year, initially hired as a jailer in October 2006. Bridgewater was transferred to the patrol division last October, and "we've had no problems" with him, Betterton told the Tyler Morning Telegraph.
"He was doing a good job in the jail," said Betterton, who said Bridgewater had undergone routine psychological testing and a routine background check before being hired.
During the news conference, Byrd said Bridgewater previously worked briefly for the Overton and Big Sandy police departments. The suspect has lived in Upshur County since about 2001, the prosecutor said.
The district attorney said investigation of the case will continue, and that he didn't know when he would present it to the county's grand jury. He pledged that Bridgewater would receive "no special treatment or favors."
If convicted of the second-degree felony, the defendant could face 2-20 years in prison, a fine up to $10,000, and lifetime registration as a sex offender.
"Certainly, it's unfortunate" when a peace officer is accused of a crime, the prosecutor said. Betterton said this was only the second of his officers to face legal trouble in his nearly seven years as sheriff.
Byrd, a Republican, praised Betterton, a Democrat who has filed for re-election in 2008, for his handling of the matter. Betterton said after the news conference he had recommended a Texas Ranger conduct the investigation.
When the child told her friends at school of the allegations, they in turn told their parents, who contacted the school counselor, said Byrd. As law requires, Big Sandy ISD then called the Child Protective Services hotline, the district attorney said.
Byrd said he and Betterton became aware of the allegations Monday. The prosecutor said Betterton and some members of the sheriff's staff met with him Monday, and that Betterton "rightly" requested that an agency other than his office investigate the case.
Betterton said he initially put Bridgewater on paid administrative leave Monday. Byrd said also met Monday with Ranger Griffith and a CPS investigator.
The forensic interviewer who talked to the child Tuesday was from the Winnsboro office of the Children's Advocacy Center, a state agency, the district attorney said.
In the written complaint signed by Byrd and Griffith, Griffith said he contacted the child's mother and set up the interview. Griffith said that after meeting the girl and her mother for the first time at the center, he "attended the interview" by witnessing it from "a secure room through a two-way mirror," and listening to the child's statement.
The girl "was able to identify the defendant and stated that he had been touching her multiple times throughout the past year" with his hands, Griffith wrote.
The complaint also said Griffith contacted Bridgewater Thursday "and asked if he would be willing" to come to the Texas Department of Public Safety office in Longview "to give a non-custodial statement regarding the allegations made against him."
Bridgewater drove to the office and met Griffith, who wrote that he "asked the defendant if he would be willing to give a non-custodial statement regarding the allegations and that no matter what, he would be free to leave on his own free will at anytime."
Griffith said he took a written statement from Bridgewater admitting he touched the inappropriately "beginning approximately one year ago."
