Mississippi authorities investigate claim trooper recorded, circulated video of sexual encounter

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi’s Department of Public Safety is investigating an allegation that a state trooper filmed a sexual encounter she had with an intoxicated woman and circulated it throughout the agency without the woman’s consent.

WLBT-TV reported that it had obtained a copy of the complaint the woman filed with the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office. A spokesperson for the Department of Public Safety, which oversees the Mississippi Highway Patrol, confirmed Friday that the department is conducting an internal investigation.

The station did not name the woman who filed the complaint. The complaint did not name the trooper.

The complaint states that several months ago the two women had dinner and drinks before going to the trooper’s home.

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“Much of that night is a blur,” the victim said in the complaint. “I became unusually and extremely intoxicated. The next morning I woke up in bed without my clothes on. ... I was aware a sexual encounter had taken place but had difficulty remembering any of what happened.”

The woman said she remembered a phone being used. She said the trooper assured the woman that her face wasn’t visible in the recording, according to the complaint. But the victim said she later discovered that her face was visible and that the video had been circulated in the law enforcement agency.

“The Mississippi Department of Public Safety has been made aware of these serious allegations involving a Mississippi Highway Patrol state trooper,” DPS spokesperson Bailey Martin told WLBT on Tuesday. “A formal complaint has not been filed with the Mississippi Highway Patrol regarding the alleged incident; however, an internal investigation is being conducted.”

Martin confirmed the statement in an email to The Associated Press.

“Our client has suffered immense harm, both physically and emotionally, and it is our utmost priority to ensure that they receive the justice they deserve,” Robert Parrish, an attorney for the woman, said in a statement. “We are fully dedicated to uncovering the truth, holding any responsible parties accountable.”