Trooper Ricky Vitte Jr. Won't Face Prosecution After Alleged Sexual Encounter With Child

An Ohio State Trooper won't be arrested or lose his job despite allegedly admitting to watching pornography and masturbating with a boy on two occasions.

The wife of Trooper Ricky Vitte, Jr. told police that her husband told her the sex acts with the pre-teen boy took place five years ago, the Sandusky Register reported on Wednesday.

Vitto allegedly told his wife that he tried to make the behavior permissible by placing a dresser between himself and the child. The allegations are contained in a statement the wife made to police and that the Register obtained.

"Rick's reasoning is the fact that he did not want (the boy) to feel pressured on feeling the need to have to have sex with someone, when he can fix those needs by masturbating to porn," Sandusky County Sheriff's Deputy Sean O'Connell said in the report.

The investigation was conducted late last year.

Sandusky County Prosecuting Attorney Thomas Stierwalt did not immediately return a request for comment from The Huffington Post.

Stierwalt told the Register he declined to prosecute the case because Vittie could present a defense that would make his alleged actions appear justified.

Several Redditors were incensed by that justification:

"Gonna kill your conviction rate if people put up defenses," one commenter wrote. "How will you ever run for office with a low conviction rate? Voters want guys 'tough on crime.'"

The Register's story comes in the wake of at least two contentious stories of alleged law enforcement misconduct gone unpunished.

Last month, the L.A. Times released an investigation that found the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department repeatedly hired officers with shady pasts. "Ultimately, about 280 county officers were given jobs, including applicants who had accidentally fired their weapons, had sex at work and solicited prostitutes," the report said.

And last week, two former California police officers were found not guilty in the killing of a homeless man, despite video evidence showing the officers beating Kelly Thomas as he cried out for help.