A South Bend police officer who had been accused of seducing a minor is now the subject of an internal investigation, following the dismissal of his criminal case earlier this week.
Officer Rico Butler, 27 at the time of the alleged relationship, was charged after prosecutors said he began a romantic relationship with a 17-year-old girl while working as a school resource officer.
According to the South Bend Tribune, St. Joseph County Deputy Prosecutor Patrick Dowd said there was no path to conviction after two key pieces of evidence were ruled inadmissible: images of Snapchat messages and the defendant’s confession. Regarding the latter, Judge Christopher Fronk noted, “A defendant cannot be convicted based solely on the source of his confession.”
Now, the South Bend Police Department says its Internal Affairs division will launch its own investigation into Butler’s conduct. Once the internal review is complete, findings will be presented to Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski, who will make a recommendation regarding Butler’s future with the department.
The department declined a request for an interview, but confirmed the internal investigation in a written statement. A timeline for that process has not been disclosed.
The St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office also declined to comment on the dismissal at this time.
