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DRAPER — A former Draper police lieutenant who announced his sudden retirement last month just days after being placed on administrative leave was charged Tuesday with two felonies accusing him of sexually abusing an officer.
Chad Carpenter, 48, of Herriman, is charged in 3rd District Court with two counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony.
On Jan. 31, Carpenter was in his office at the Draper Police Department, 1020 Pioneer Road, when a police detective walked into the building. The detective had had complications from breast reduction surgery and Carpenter knew this, according to charging documents.
When Carpenter inquired about how the woman was doing, he "pulled at the bottom of her shirt and said, 'Well, let me see,'" the charges state. Carpenter then had the woman shut the door, then he lifted her shirt, undid her bra and "squeezed her breasts, three times each," according to charging documents.
The woman began to cry and left Carpenter's office, according to the charges, and "stated that she has been having anxiety and is stressed every time someone mentions Carpenter or when she sees him."
Draper police lieutenant under investigation announces retirement
A lieutenant with the Draper Police Department has submitted his "notice of retirement" just days after being placed on administrative leave.Two weeks after the incident, the lieutenant went to the detective's desk and said, "You know I love you, right?" and told her they had a "special relationship," the charges state.
According to a Draper spokeswoman, the city received a harassment complaint against Carpenter on March 13.
Carpenter had been with Draper police since 2003 and was the face of the department for several years as its spokesman.
When he announced his retirement, Draper police announced that an internal investigation and an independent investigation being conducted by Unified police would continue despite his departure. Tuesday's charges are the result of Unified police's case.
