Former Spring Hill Policeman Faces Civil Rights Charge

NASHVILLE, TN — A former Spring Hill police officer is facing a trial in federal court, charged with a criminal civil rights violation for engaging in unwanted sexual contact while on duty, according to federal prosecutors.

A federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted Christopher Patrick Odom, 27, of Spring Hill, on the civil rights charge, said Jack Smith, the acting U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, in a statement. If he's found guilty, Odom faces up to 12 months in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Prosecutors say that on June 25, 2016, Odom forced a woman to place her hand on his genitals. The incident violated the woman's "constitutional right to be free from unwanted sexual contact by a person acting under color of law," the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

In October, Odom was charged with one count of rape, one count of sexual battery and two counts of official misconduct, WTVF NewsChannel 5 reported. The Spring Hill Police Department then fired him.

Odom was arrested Thursday afternoon by agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and was scheduled to make an initial appearance Friday before a U.S. magistrate, the U.S. Attorney's Office statement added.

Image: Patch