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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Complaints Add Up Against Abusive Cop

ST. LOUIS (CN) - Three more women claim in court that a sheriff's lieutenant sexually abused them while "tracking" them for a drug court.

The plaintiffs - SM, KW and CA - sued Lincoln County, sheriff's Lt. Scott Edwards, Sheriff Michael Krigbaum, and county drug court coordinator Heather Graham-Thompson, in Federal Court.

Edwards "tracked" participants in the Lincoln County Drug Court. He pleaded guilty to violating the constitutional rights of SM and KW, under color of law, and is expected to be sentenced to 10 years in prison on Friday, Dec. 14, according to the complaint.

In October, "Jane Poe" sued Edwards and Lincoln County in Federal Court, claiming Edwards abused his power to force her into sex acts.

The new complaint, filed Monday, has similar allegations.

One plaintiffs claims that Edwards fondled and sucked on her bare breasts, touched her genitals with his mouth and hands and held "her down on the bed while he was clothed and rubbing his erect penis against her body."

She claims that she tried to push Edwards' face away from her genitals, but "he bit her genitals with his teeth in order to prevent her from pushing him away, and the bite drew blood and left an injury which took several days to heal."

A second plaintiff claims Edwards fondled her breasts during an improper strip search in his car. She says she "remained silent during the sexual assault because she felt she had no choice but to cooperate without resistance."

The third plaintiff claims she was kicked out of the drug court after complaining to her probation officer about inappropriate comments Edwards made to her.

"At all relevant times each plaintiff was psychologically vulnerable to Lt. Edwards due to: a. Her problems with addiction, b. Her position as a participant in drug court, and c. Lt. Edwards' power to have her incarcerated," the complaint states.

The women seek damages for due process violations, failure to supervise and civil rights violations. They are represented by W. Bevis Schock in St. Louis.

Lincoln County is 55 miles northwest of St. Louis.

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