Former US police officer Sinmi Asomuyide has been jailed for 40 years over the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl and attempts to cover it up

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

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The US Department of Justice announced that Asomuyide, 33, a former officer with the Kokomo Police Department, was also sentenced to three years of supervised release after completing his prison term.

He was convicted in June 2026 following a five-day jury trial on charges of deprivation of rights under colour of law, witness tampering and destruction of records.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Asomuyide first encountered the teenager on June 30, 2024, while responding to a 911 call from her father, who had reported her as a runaway.

Asomuyide and another officer located the girl at the home of another underage girl and took her into custody before transporting her to the Kinsey Youth Center.

The Justice Department said Asomuyide switched off his body-worn camera as he entered the facility’s sallyport garage, contrary to police department policy.

He then took the teenager’s mobile phone, used it to call his personal TextNow number and questioned her about her sexual history.

During a pat-down search, he discovered a vape pen in her back pocket. After taking her into the youth centre, he reportedly escorted her to a side room and told her he would contact her later to return the item.

The teenager was subsequently collected from the facility by a family friend at her father’s direction.

Before leaving, she sent Asomuyide the username of one of her social media accounts, while he requested her TikTok username.

The two continued exchanging messages that evening while Asomuyide completed the remainder of his shift. The teenager, according to prosecutors, believed he intended to return her vape pen.

Prosecutors said Asomuyide later requested overtime at the police station, claiming he would be completing paperwork between 10pm and midnight.

Instead, he allegedly left the station to meet the teenager at the family friend’s apartment.

According to the Justice Department, he arrived in his police uniform and demanded to speak with her privately under the pretext of determining where she should stay.

He then handcuffed the teenager in the back of his patrol car and drove to an empty warehouse car park. GPS data from the vehicle helped investigators establish the location.

The statement said Asomuyide removed the handcuffs, moved the girl to the front seat and sexually assaulted her before handcuffing her again and returning her to the apartment complex.

The teenager later reported the assault to family members and law enforcement authorities, prompting an investigation by the Indiana State Police.

During a forensic examination of the patrol vehicle, investigators discovered a dried semen stain on the centre console that matched Asomuyide’s DNA.

The Justice Department also said the former officer attempted to mislead investigators during an interview approximately one week after the incident.

He reportedly denied giving the teenager his phone number and suggested she might have overheard him reciting it to an employee at the youth centre.

He also claimed she had contacted him through a work phone, although Kokomo police officers were not issued work phones.

A forensic examination of his mobile phone revealed that, within hours of the assault, he had searched phrases including “how to delete TextMe account” and “TextNow delete account”.

The Justice Department disclosed that the Indiana conviction was not the first time Asomuyide had faced an allegation of sexual misconduct involving a minor.

Before joining the Kokomo Police Department, he worked as an officer with the Portsmouth Police Department in Virginia, where he was forced to resign following an allegation that he had sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl while off duty.

When he later applied to join the Kokomo force, he allegedly misrepresented the circumstances surrounding his departure.

According to the Justice Department, he claimed he had been forced to resign because he was “hanging out” with a 17-year-old girl who told him she was 19.

American media reports in July 2024 had disclosed that Asomuyide was dismissed from the Kokomo Police Department following an internal investigation into his conduct.

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

He was convicted in June 2026 and sentenced in November.

Reacting to the sentence, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said the Justice Department would continue to hold officers accountable for civil rights abuses and the betrayal of public trust.

She expressed hope that the victim would be able to recover from the experience and move forward with her life.

The United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Tom Wheeler, described the incident as a grave abuse of police authority.

Wheeler said Asomuyide had used the tools, training and powers entrusted to him as an officer to assault a vulnerable child and attempt to conceal his actions.

He added that the evidence presented at trial exposed the former officer’s efforts to cover up the crime.

FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley also condemned the abuse, saying officers entrusted with protecting children must never become their perpetrators.

Indiana State Police Chief Public Information Officer Captain Ron Galaviz said the agency remained committed to investigating crimes against children, particularly those involving individuals in positions of trust.

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He described the abuse of authority for personal gratification as unacceptable and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to protecting vulnerable people.