Arrested

I was contacted by the detective working my case around 11:30am.  She called my cell phone while I was at my Dad’s house and informed me that a warrant for my arrest had been issued and that I needed to come turn myself in.  She asked when I could be there; I told her 1:00pm at the latest.  I asked her what the charge was, and she said “Indecent Liberties with Children” which is the same as “Indecent Liberties with a Minor/Child”. Indecent Liberties is a felony charge and a very serious offense.

I called my attorney who surprisingly said he couldn’t be there, and that there really wouldn’t be anything he could do. At this point I really began to wonder what all that money I had given him was for.

Calling my wife

I called my wife to inform her.  She had taken my 6 year old son to the doctor earlier that morning.  When I called, she informed me that my 6 year old son had just been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and that she was on her way to the hospital.  Here is my little boy, diagnosed with a life changing and life threatening disease and I couldn’t be with him.  I was on my way to be arrested for the very first time in my life.

At the police station

I arrived at the police station with my Dad around 12:30pm.  After a few minutes of waiting, the detective, along with another male officer walked up.  The male officer frisked me and I was then walked down to “imaging” by the armed detective.  In imaging, my “mug shot” was taken.

I was then driven over to the Sheriff’s department where I was finger printed and taken to the magistrates office.  The detective was confident I would be let go on my “own merit” meaning I wouldn’t need to pay any bail, but the magistrate set my bail to $10,000.  A large amount for the type of charge.  I would suspect this was due to my job and income.

My Dad and the bondsman had not shown up yet, so the detective was forced to take me up to the jail.  I say forced as she was kind enough to do everything she could to stall in order to give my Dad and bondsman time to arrive.  Our bondsman had unfortunately gotten caught up in some traffic and was running behind.  At this point I was hand-cuffed, again for the first time in my life.

Upstairs in the jail, it smelled of sweat and everything was grayish blue in color.  A large cell across from the elevator we arrived on contained about 10 women who were waiting to use the phone.  One lady was urinating in a toilet in the corner out in the open.  I began the process of providing my information and giving up all of my personal property to a young sheriff’s department officer.   He was very kind and knew I was very much out of place.

Just as I was instructed to enter a holding cell and change into the orange prison clothing, the phone rang.  It was the magistrates office saying that I had made bail.  I was again handcuffed and taken back down to the magistrate, where I signed my release papers, and was let go.

I called my manager to inform her and was immediately placed on non-paid administrative leave pending further investigation and a final decision. I later found out that the detective had called my manager and informed her that they were coming to my office to arrest me and that she “fully expected” my manager to cooperate. Fortunately I wasn’t there. At the time I thought the detective was being nice by allowing me to turn myself in. Nope, they wanted to embarrass and humiliate me for no reason.

What a day.  I was arrested, my son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and I all but lost my job.  At least I didn’t have to lay in bed awake at night wondering if each car driving by was the police coming to arrest me.

The next day I had to appear in court.  What an experience…