PG County Police Officer Accused of Taking Upskirt Photos Pleads Guilty: Police

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — A suspended Prince George's County police officer accused of taking upskirt photos of women both while on duty and off duty has entered a plea of guilty this week.

Police Officer First Class James Sims had been suspended with pay since June when he was accused of taking inappropriate pictures of women, both during traffic stops while on duty and while he was off duty, according to a report from the Prince George's County Police Department.

Sims pleaded guilty to two counts of misconduct in office and four counts of visual surveillance with prurient intent.

“The Police Department derives its authority to enforce the law from the community," Police Chief Hank Stawinski said in a statement. "Therefore, violations of the community’s trust are the most serious infractions a police officer can commit. I would like to apologize to the community, but, also, to reassure our residents that this has been taken extraordinarily seriously as a form of corruption. I have worked with the State’s Attorney, Angela Alsobrooks, to ensure that this individual, who does not represent this institution, is held accountable for his actions.”

Sims had been with the department since 2010. He will be sentenced Feb. 17.

Image via PGPD