Sexual Abuse Of Juvenile Charged To County Police Officer: Report

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — A grand jury charged a Prince George's police officer with sexually abusing a minor, the county state's attorney announced on Tuesday. The accused officer, Tristan Thigpen is 35 years old.

The Prince George's County Police Department responded on July 12 to a report of sexual abuse that the accuser says occurred on April 1. State's Attorney Aisha Braveboy's report accuses Thigpen of sexually abusing, assaulting and engaging in sexual contact with the minor.

Thigpen faces charges of sex abuse with a minor, third-degree sex offense, second-degree assault and related charges, according to the report. If convicted on all charges, Thigpen would be eligible for up to 35 years in prison.

A grand jury is a group of citizens that determines whether an accusation warrants criminal charges. Grand juries do not assess whether an accused person is guilty.

By indicting somebody, a grand jury raises criminal charges against them. A criminal trial then evaluates whether the charged individual is guilty.

Thigpen awaits his trial. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The Maryland court database does not yet list Thigpen's case, so his first court date is not yet known.

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