Ex-police officer gets 40 years for assaulting 14-year-old girl

A former police officer in the United States, Sinmi Asomuyide, has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl while on duty in Indiana.

Asomuyide, 33, who once worked for the Kokomo Police Department, will also serve three years of supervised release after his prison term ends.

The United States Department of Justice shared this information in a statement on its website on Thursday, November 5, 2026.

Asomuyide was found guilty in June 2026 after a five-day jury trial. He faced charges of deprivation of rights under color of law, witness tampering, and destruction of records.

The statement said: “Former Kokomo Police Department officer Sinmi Asomuyide, 33, has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In June 2026, Asomuyide was convicted following a five-day jury trial of Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law, Witness Tampering, and Destruction of Records.”

Court documents and evidence from the trial showed that Asomuyide met the victim on June 30, 2024. He was responding to a 911 call from her father, who reported her as a runaway.

The statement said: “According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Asomuyide, then 31 years old, first encountered Minor #1, a 14-year-old girl, on June 30, 2024, while serving as a Kokomo Police Department (KPD) patrol officer. Earlier that day, Minor #1’s father called 911 to report her as a runaway.”

Asomuyide and another KPD officer found Minor #1 at the home of another underage girl. After taking her into custody, Asomuyide drove her to the Kinsey Youth Center. He turned off his body camera when entering the facility, breaking KPD policy. He took Minor #1’s phone and called his own TextNow number, asking her about her sexual history.

During a pat-down, Asomuyide found a vape pen in Minor #1’s back pocket. After entering the Youth Center, he took her to a side room and told her he would return the vape pen later.

A family friend picked up the teenager from the youth center, following her father’s instructions.

The statement noted that she sent Asomuyide her social media username before leaving, while he asked for her TikTok username. It added: “The two continued communicating by text message throughout the evening while Asomuyide completed the remainder of his shift, and Minor #1 remained under the impression that Asomuyide intended to return her vape pen.”

But prosecutors said Asomuyide later left the police station. He requested overtime, saying he would finish paperwork from 10pm to midnight.

Instead, he allegedly went to the apartment where the teenager was staying with a family friend.

The statement said: “Later that evening, Asomuyide took several steps to see Minor #1 while simultaneously covering his tracks. He returned to the KPD police station and requested overtime, stating that he would be finishing his paperwork from 10pm to 12am, but instead left the station to pick up Minor #1.”

He arrived at the friend’s apartment in his police uniform and insisted on speaking to Minor #1 alone. Rather than helping her, he handcuffed her in the back of his patrol car and drove to an empty warehouse parking lot, as shown by his patrol car’s GPS.

He took the handcuffs off, moved her to the front seat, and sexually assaulted her. After that, he put the handcuffs back on and drove her back to the apartment.

The victim later told her family about the assault, leading to an investigation by the Indiana State Police.

During a forensic check of Asomuyide’s patrol vehicle, investigators found a dried semen stain on the center console that matched his DNA.

The Justice Department also said that Asomuyide tried to mislead investigators during an interview about a week after the assault.

The statement said: “Approximately one week after the assault, ISP detectives interviewed Asomuyide. During the interview, he falsely claimed that he never provided Minor #1 with his phone number, suggesting instead that she may have overheard him reciting it to a Kinsey Youth Center employee.”

He also falsely claimed that Minor #1 had contacted him on a work phone, even though KPD officers do not receive work phones.

A check of Asomuyide’s phone showed that within hours of the assault, he searched for phrases like ‘how to delete TextMe account’ and ‘TextNow delete account.’

Previous Allegation in Virginia

The Justice Department revealed that this conviction was not Asomuyide's first issue involving a minor.

Before working in Kokomo, he was a police officer with the Portsmouth Police Department in Virginia. He resigned after being accused of having sex with a 15-year-old girl while off duty.

When he applied to join the Kokomo Police Department, he reportedly misrepresented why he left the Virginia police force.

The statement said: “This is not Asomuyide’s first instance of sexual misconduct with a minor. He was previously employed as a police officer at the Portsmouth (Virginia) Police Department (PPD) and was forced to resign after an allegation that he had sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old while he was off duty.”

“When he later applied to the Kokomo Police Department, he misrepresented what he did, stating that he was forced to resign from PPD because he was ‘hanging out’ with a 17-year-old girl who told him that she was 19.”

Earlier reports from American media in July 2024 said Asomuyide was dismissed from the Kokomo Police Department after an internal investigation into his actions.

The Indiana State Police looked into the allegations, and in July 2025, the US Department of Justice announced that a federal grand jury had indicted him over the assault and attempts to mislead investigators.

He was convicted in June 2026 and received the 40-year prison sentence in November.

Reacting to the sentence, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said the Justice Department takes civil rights abuses seriously. She said some police officers betray public trust.

She said: “The Department of Justice takes civil rights abuses seriously, including those committed by the small minority of police officers that betray public trust.”

“This defendant will be held accountable for the kidnapping and sexual abuse of a child. We hope the victim will be able to recover and prosper despite this horrific episode.”

Tom Wheeler, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, called the incident an abuse of police authority.

Wheeler said: “This defendant exploited the badge in one of the worst ways imaginable.”

“What makes these crimes particularly disturbing is that he used the very tools, training, and authority entrusted to him as a police officer not only to assault a vulnerable child, but to try to conceal it. The evidence told a different story, and today’s sentence sends a clear message that no one can use the authority of the badge as a shield from accountability.”

Timothy J. O’Malley, the FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge, also condemned the actions. He said police officers should protect children, not harm them.

He said: “The very people entrusted with protecting children must never become the ones who victimise them. This defendant preyed on a 14-year-old girl and then attempted to cover up his crimes.”

“That kind of calculated abuse is unconscionable. The FBI remains committed to protecting children and relentlessly pursuing those who prey on them.”

Indiana State Police Chief Public Information Officer Captain Ron Galaviz said the agency is committed to investigating crimes against children, especially by those in power.

He said: “The Indiana State Police aggressively investigates crimes committed against children, especially when perpetrated by individuals placed in positions of immense trust.”

“It is unconscionable that someone in authority would abuse their power for personal gratification at the expense of an innocent child. We remain steadfast in our commitment to holding these abusers accountable and protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities.