A Colville police officer was charged Friday with seven
criminal counts, including four felonies, stemming from a string of alleged
sexual encounters with women while in uniform dating back to 2011.
Rex Newport, 45, has been formally accused of first-degree
burglary and unlawful imprisonment, custodial sexual misconduct and making
false or misleading statements to a public servant, according to documents
filed in Stevens County Superior Court on Friday afternoon. Knowledge of Newport’s
behavior came to the attention of authorities after a woman claimed she’d been
sexually assaulted by the 15-year veteran of the Colville police force at her
apartment in March.
According to court documents, the woman alleges Newport
entered her apartment after she returned home from a night of drinking at a
Colville bar. Newport drank some of her alcohol, then left on a radio call for
another incident, according to allegations made in the court documents. The
woman said Newport later returned, handcuffed her and raped her, court
documents say.
Newport told investigators, who were also looking into
claims the officer took off his gun belt and put it around the woman, that the
claims were a “hundred percent nonsense,” according to court records.
DNA taken from the scene places Newport in the woman’s
apartment and indicates sexual contact, according to court records.
Evidence collected during the investigation indicate a
pattern in which Newport would contact intoxicated women coming home from bars.
Multiple women claimed Newport pulled them over for what appeared to be stops
for driving under the influence. He then had sex with them, they say, and the
DUI claims were never investigated.
The Stevens County Sheriff’s Office and FBI collaborated in
the investigation. One woman claimed that after the sexual contact, Newport
continued to send her unwanted and sexually explicit text messages.
Newport has denied the allegations made against him. He
remains on administrative leave from the Colville Police Department.
A pilot who made an emergency landing at a municipal airport
runway has also sued Newport and the city for alleged use of excessive
force, according
to previous reporting.
The burglary and unlawful imprisonment charges carry firearm
enhancements because Newport was armed with a service handgun at the time of
the alleged crime. The charges hold potential maximum sentences ranging from a
year to life in prison.
Rex Newport is accused of first-degree burglary and unlawful
imprisonment, custodial sexual misconduct and making false or misleading
statements to a public servant.
A Colville police officer was charged Friday with seven
criminal counts, including four felonies, stemming from a string of alleged
on-duty sexual encounters with women dating to 2011.
Rex Newport, 45, has been formally accused of first-degree
burglary and unlawful imprisonment, custodial sexual misconduct and making
false or misleading statements to a public servant, according to documents
filed in Stevens County Superior Court on Friday afternoon. Newport’s alleged
behavior came to the attention of authorities after a woman claimed she’d been
sexually assaulted by the 15-year veteran of the Colville police force at her
apartment in March.
According to court documents, the woman alleges Newport
entered her apartment after she returned home from a night of drinking at a
Colville bar. Newport drank some of her alcohol, then left on a radio call for
another incident, she told police. The woman said Newport later returned,
handcuffed her and raped her, court documents say.
Newport told investigators, who were also looking into
claims the officer took off his gun belt and put it around the woman, that the
allegations were a “hundred percent nonsense,” according to court records.
DNA taken from the scene places Newport in the woman’s
apartment and indicates sexual contact, according to court records.
Evidence collected during the investigation indicates a
pattern in which Newport would contact intoxicated women coming home from bars.
Multiple women claimed Newport pulled them over, supposedly on suspicion of
driving under the influence, then had sex with them. Any DUI claims were never investigated,
they say.
The Stevens County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI collaborated
on the investigation. One woman claimed that after the sexual contact, Newport
continued to send her unwanted and sexually explicit text messages.
Newport has denied the allegations. He remains on
administrative leave from the Colville Police Department.
A pilot who made an emergency landing at a municipal airport
runway has also sued Newport and the city for alleged use of excessive
force, according to previous reports.
The burglary and unlawful imprisonment charges carry firearm
enhancements because Newport was armed with a service handgun at the time of
the alleged crime. The charges hold potential maximum sentences ranging from a
year to life in prison.