A former Kansas police officer was arrested on Wednesday after being charged with 24 counts of crimes – including kidnapping, sexual abuse, and rape.
Officers with the Hutchinson Police Department arrested Todd Allen, a former member of their police department for 24 years.
Allen faces a total of 24 charges, including 17 felonies. Allen is charged with two counts of rape, three counts of attempted rape, one count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, two counts of kidnapping, seven counts of aggravated sexual battery, two counts of sexual battery, two counts of attempted aggravated sexual battery and five counts of breach of privacy and eavesdropping, according to NBC News.
Law enforcement believes that Allen committed a series of sexual assaults in Hutchinson city parks from October 2012 through November 2018. Authorities also suspect Allen in numerous reports of prowling or “window peeping” between May 2019 and June 2022.
WHEC-TV reported, “The criminal complaint listed 10 sexual assault victims and five others who alleged breach of privacy.”
Allen resigned from the Hutchinson Police Department around October 2018.
At a news conference on Wednesday, Police Chief Jeff Hooper labeled Allen a “predator.”
“I am appalled and disgusted that somebody who is a suspect in these type of crimes and this type of behavior ever wore the uniform and this badge that I am honored to pin on my chest every day,” Hooper said. “But I’m very proud of this administration and all the men and women that diligently worked on these cases over the last decade and who today brought Mr. Allen to justice.”
Hooper did not specify whether Allen was in uniform when the alleged sexual assaults occurred.
“Other details about his service were not immediately available, but a search of stories in The News showed Allen was a DARE Officer in the local public schools from at least 1996 through mid-2001 and then became a school resources officer, serving in 11 schools until the DARE program ended in July 2001,” according to the Hutchinson News.
Hooper said he took command at the Hutchinson Police Department in late 2018. In November 2018, Allen reportedly quit the force shortly after Hooper held a press conference about a string of sexual assaults. The sexual assaults stopped after the press conference.
“In 2018, Hooper said all the victims were females, ages 15 to 28, and all the assaults occurred between 9:30 p.m. and the early morning,” WHEC-TV reported. “He said the assailant would approach women sitting in a vehicle, shine a bright light in their face, and identify himself as a police officer or park security.”
Police believe there could be more victims.
Allen, 51, is currently being held in the Reno County Correctional Facility with his bond set at $250,000.
Anyone with information regarding Allen and his alleged crimes is urged to call Crime Stoppers of Reno County at 1-800-222-TIPS or Sergeant Jones at Hutchinson Police Department at 620-694-2822.
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