A former North County Police Cooperative officer in Missouri, United States, has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting 18 men while they were detained or under arrest.
Marcellis Blackwell, 36, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court in St. Louis to 18 counts of deprivation of rights under colour of law, involving violations of the victims’ right to bodily integrity.
All 18 charges involved abusive sexual contact, while 15 also involved the kidnapping of victims.
As part of his plea agreement, Blackwell admitted that he sexually assaulted 18 men between November 8, 2022, and June 5, 2023, while serving as an officer with the North County Police Cooperative.
According to court documents, the assaults typically occurred following traffic stops or arrests.
In one incident, Blackwell detained two men following a traffic accident. He allegedly groped one of the men in the back seat of his police vehicle before taking the other victim to a remote location.
Sixteen of the victims were handcuffed at the time of the assaults, while 15 were taken to remote locations, including a high school and the rear parking lot of Blackwell’s police department.
Authorities said Blackwell would deactivate his body-worn camera before carrying out the assaults. On 13 occasions, he allegedly falsified police reports by claiming that his body camera had remained active throughout his interactions with the victims.
The investigation began on June 4, 2023, after one of Blackwell’s alleged victims from the previous day contacted the North County Police Cooperative.
As additional victims came forward, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) took over the investigation.
Blackwell is scheduled to be sentenced on November 24. Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office are expected to seek a sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
The case highlights the serious abuse of authority alleged against the former officer, who admitted to targeting individuals while they were under police detention or arrest.