Indecent Liberties With Minor Charges Faced By Fairfax Officer

FAIRFAX, VA — A grand jury indicted former Fairfax County Police officer John Grimes Monday on three counts of unwanted sexual contact with a minor. The sexual contact took place while Grimes was in a supervisory relationship with the 16-year-old victim, according to police.

Between Nov. 12 and Dec. 16, 2019, Grimes had engaged in inappropriate conduct while he was providing ride alongs with the victim, who was a member of the department's Public Safety Cadet Program, according to police. Grimes was charged with three counts of custodial indecent liberties, which carry a combined maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

Fairfax County Police first became aware of the incidents on Dec. 13, 2019, when the department was contacted by the FBI. Grimes had applied to be a special agent there and the FBI discovered during its background investigation that he may have had a criminally inappropriate relationship with a minor.

"Our internal affairs bureau immediately acted and relieved Grimes of duty and began their criminal investigation," Chief Kevin Davis said during a Tuesday morning news conference. "He was relieved of all police powers."

When asked why it took so long to charge Grimes for these 2019 incidents, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said cases like this often take longer to investigate.

"In working with the Major Crimes Bureau, they moved with alacrity and we moved to make a decision as quickly as possible when we had the facts and the evidence that is necessary for us to, to get an indictment and to be successful at trial," he said.

Through its Public Safety Cadet Program, the police department gives people ages 14-21 who are interested in pursing a career in public safety the opportunity to gain firsthand experience alongside its officers.

"We have since made changes to the public safety cadet program in the wake of these troubling allegations," Davis said. "Those changes were made immediately back in 2019, including suspending all ride alongs."

Younger individuals in the program start out as public safety cadets, which is what the victim in this case was.

"How ironic that this program is intended to do one thing and in fact, she's victimized," Davis said. "But I can tell you this right now, we have 90 public safety cadets in our the program. It's a great program. In spite of this, it is a great program."

When the cadets turn 18, they can apply to be a police cadet, which is a part-time, paid position. The department currently has 10 police cadets and 15 active Fairfax County Police officers who started out as public safety cadets or police cadets.

Davis and Descano both condemned the actions they say Grimes committed.

"Police officers work hard to build and maintain trust within our community every day," Davis said. "I have no tolerance for police officers who abused that sacred trust.

"It's important to the people of Fairfax County for them to know that their Commonwealth's Attorney takes these types of crimes, crimes of a sexual nature against children, very, very seriously," Descano said. "They are a top priority for us, and also they should take comfort in the fact that we recognize in the criminal justice system that no one is above the law."