(WWJ) A former law enforcement officer who used position to coerce a woman into a relationship, then used his badge to take her out of a rehab center for sex, has pleaded guilty to a charge of misconduct in office.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Tuesday that 46-year-old Todd Barkley, who worked for the Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Office, will be sentenced to three years’ probation.
In addition, Nessel said Barkley, of Brownstown Township, will be prohibited from serving as a law enforcement officer ever again.
According to the AG's office, Barkley arrested a woman on multiple occasions and then exploited his position with the Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Office to coerce her into a sexual relationship.
While off duty, Nessel said Barkley drove to Fulton, Kentucky where the woman was being treated for substance abuse and "used his badge to take the woman out of the facility for the day for the purposes of engaging in sex."
The deputy also has sex with the woman while in Michigan, the AG said.
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Barkley has since been fired from the Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Office.
“We hold our law enforcement officers to the highest level of honesty and integrity and it’s unfortunate when the public’s trust is violated,” said Nessel, in a statement. “The Department of Attorney General holds accountable anyone who breaks the law and is a haven for those who have been victimized and exploited.”
Sentencing in this case is set for Dec. 14, before Jackson County Circuit Judge Susan Beebe Jordan.
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