Federal prosecutors have obtained a conviction of a former New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officer who pleaded guilty to assaulting a 15-year-old crime victim.
"According to court documents, in May 2020, Rodney Vicknair, 55, while working in his capacity as an NOPD officer, escorted a then 14-year-old girl, who was a victim of sexual assault, to the hospital to undergo a forensic exam, also known as a rape kit," the Department of Justice announced. "The defendant gave the victim his cell phone number and offered to be her friend and mentor. At the time, the defendant was 53-years-old."
Prosecutors say Vicknair repeatedly spoke with the victim, including on the phone and via Snapchat.
"Over time, Vicknair made comments to the victim that were sexual in nature," prosecutors said. "On the night of Sept. 23, 2020, the defendant arrived at the victim’s house. By that time, she had turned 15-years-old. He told her to come outside and get into his vehicle. She got into the passenger’s seat while the defendant remained in the driver’s seat. Then, the defendant locked the doors so that the victim could not leave. He leaned over toward the victim, and she feared for her physical safety. The defendant then sexually assaulted the victim when he intentionally touched her genitals under her clothing without her consent."
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Vicknair is scheduled to be sentenced in March.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said, "the defendant’s job was to protect a child who was a victim of sexual assault but instead he exploited her vulnerabilities and abused his position of power to carry out his own sexual assault of the victim."
The case was investigated by the FBI and the NOPD Public Integrity Bureau and then prosecuted by the Eastern District of Louisiana and the Criminal Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division."
Read the full report.
