Post by WaTcHeR on Jun 30, 2006 14:16:21 GMT -5
06.30.2006 - A former police officer who once conducted Internet stings by pretending to be a teenage girl has been convicted of sexual impropriety with a 16-year-old girl.
Brady Randall Hale, 30, was convicted of sexual assault Wednesday and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He could have been sentenced to up to 20 years. The jury also found Mr. Hale not guilty on the second count.
He was in Denton County Jail on Thursday and could not be reached for comment.
Mr. Hale was arrested in Seagoville, where he was a police officer, in February 2005. He had consensual sex with the girl while he was a Pilot Point police officer, according to testimony in his trial this week.
In July 2004, Mr. Hale was working at the Pilot Point department and made at least two arrests after posing as a young girl in Internet chat rooms. Men drove to Pilot Point to meet the fictitious "girl," and Mr. Hale arrested them.
Another officer who worked for Pilot Point at the time, Darrell Wright, 41, was convicted in September on six counts of sexual assault involving the same girl. He was sentenced to eight years on each count and is serving his sentence.
Pilot Point Police Chief James Edland heard rumors about sexual liaisons involving his officers and the girl in October 2004 and asked Texas Ranger Tracy Murphree to investigate. Ranger Murphree arrested both officers in early 2005, along with former Aubrey police Sgt. Dennis Alatzas, 38.
Ranger Murphree said Mr. Hale's sentence was appropriate.
"He's a first-time offender, but the sentence was warranted," the Texas Ranger said. "We're not going to tolerate sexual exploitation of children, and we're certainly not going to tolerate it from police officers."
According to testimony, Mr. Hale met the girl when he gave her a traffic ticket in Pilot Point and began a relationship with her. He brought her to a house he shared with Mr. Wright, who also began having sex with her.
Mr. Wright and the girl had an intense relationship, the girl testified at his trial. She testified she was planning to marry Mr. Wright and begged the jury not to convict him. The girl also testified against Mr. Hale.
Mr. Hale was working for Seagoville police by the time the allegations came to light and resigned that position when Ranger Murphree arrested him at the police department.
Mr. Alatzas faced indecency with a child charges in connection with the girl. He was accused of knowing about Mr. Wright's relationship with the girl and not reporting the crime. He testified against the other men.
Mr. Alatzas' charges were reduced to misdemeanor failure to report child abuse and are pending.
www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/denton/stories/DN-officerconvicted_30wes.ART0.West.Edition1.24b4743.html
Brady Randall Hale, 30, was convicted of sexual assault Wednesday and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He could have been sentenced to up to 20 years. The jury also found Mr. Hale not guilty on the second count.
He was in Denton County Jail on Thursday and could not be reached for comment.
Mr. Hale was arrested in Seagoville, where he was a police officer, in February 2005. He had consensual sex with the girl while he was a Pilot Point police officer, according to testimony in his trial this week.
In July 2004, Mr. Hale was working at the Pilot Point department and made at least two arrests after posing as a young girl in Internet chat rooms. Men drove to Pilot Point to meet the fictitious "girl," and Mr. Hale arrested them.
Another officer who worked for Pilot Point at the time, Darrell Wright, 41, was convicted in September on six counts of sexual assault involving the same girl. He was sentenced to eight years on each count and is serving his sentence.
Pilot Point Police Chief James Edland heard rumors about sexual liaisons involving his officers and the girl in October 2004 and asked Texas Ranger Tracy Murphree to investigate. Ranger Murphree arrested both officers in early 2005, along with former Aubrey police Sgt. Dennis Alatzas, 38.
Ranger Murphree said Mr. Hale's sentence was appropriate.
"He's a first-time offender, but the sentence was warranted," the Texas Ranger said. "We're not going to tolerate sexual exploitation of children, and we're certainly not going to tolerate it from police officers."
According to testimony, Mr. Hale met the girl when he gave her a traffic ticket in Pilot Point and began a relationship with her. He brought her to a house he shared with Mr. Wright, who also began having sex with her.
Mr. Wright and the girl had an intense relationship, the girl testified at his trial. She testified she was planning to marry Mr. Wright and begged the jury not to convict him. The girl also testified against Mr. Hale.
Mr. Hale was working for Seagoville police by the time the allegations came to light and resigned that position when Ranger Murphree arrested him at the police department.
Mr. Alatzas faced indecency with a child charges in connection with the girl. He was accused of knowing about Mr. Wright's relationship with the girl and not reporting the crime. He testified against the other men.
Mr. Alatzas' charges were reduced to misdemeanor failure to report child abuse and are pending.
www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/denton/stories/DN-officerconvicted_30wes.ART0.West.Edition1.24b4743.html