A veteran police officer offered to fix a Texas teen’s traffic tickets if she gave him nude photographs of herself, according to court documents.
Officer Michael Coppock, 33, a nine-year veteran of the Baytown Police Department, has been pulled off patrol while an internal investigation and criminal probe are underway for his alleged proposition to the 18-year-old woman, according to The Houston Chronicle.
The officer recently ticketed the teen for speeding and having an expired registration, Houston’s KHOU News reported. Roughly one hour after the traffic stop, the officer allegedly contacted the teen through social media and text messages and offered to change the tickets to warnings.
In exchange, the officer asked the teen to “send him nude photographs of herself,” according to court documents. The teen reportedly sent photos to the officer. Police began investigating after she reported what happened.
KHOU News reports:
Police say they viewed screenshots of the conversations and characterized the messages as “clearly coercive in nature,” and “putting pressure” on the teen.
Authorities have since obtained search warrants for Coppock’s cell phone and Snapchat account.
Baytown police officials, citing the ongoing investigations, declined to comment.
David Lohr covers crime and missing persons. Tips? Feedback? Send an email or follow him on Twitter.
