Ex-Nashville police officer indicted for raping prostitute while on duty

A grand jury has indicted a former Nashville police officer on charges of rape, misconduct and official oppression.

The Tennesseanreported that a 32-year-old prostitute complained to the sex crimes unit earlier this year that 44-year-old Officer Jonathan Mays had forced her to perform oral sex on him while he was working an overnight shift in January.

The victim said that she felt that she had to comply with the officer's demands or he would arrest her.

She agreed to cooperate with investigators, and Mays was under surveillance when he again approached her on July 17. According to a police report, the victim told Mays that she would perform oral sex on him if he would protect her from arrest.

The two agreed to meet at another location, where Mays found investigators waiting for him. After initially insisting that he did not know the victim, the officer eventually admitted to the January sexual encounter.

Mays resigned in July while under investigation. He had been with the department since 2002.

"Our investigation shows that Jonathan Mays betrayed the public's trust, as well as that of his co-workers," Metro Police Chief Steve Anderson said in a statement. "His actions are counter to the very high expectations of professionalism and integrity for Nashville's police officers."

Mays was charged on Friday with rape, two counts of official misconduct and two counts of official oppression. Bond was set at $25,000.