What to Know
- Retired officer Thomas O'Neill has been indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of deprivation of rights.
- O'Neill is alleged to have sexually assaulted the woman for 90 minutes in his police car while he was on duty in 2016.
- O'Neill faces prison time if found guilty.
A retired Philadelphia police officer has been indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of deprivation of rights after a woman alleged he sexually assaulted her for 90 minutes in his police car while he was on duty.
The U.S. Attorney's office announced the indictment of retired officer Thomas O'Neill Wednesday related to the alleged July 2016 assault. The indictment also says O'Neill used a dangerous weapon during the alleged assault.
Attorney information for 47-year-old O'Neill wasn't available in court records.
The woman, whose name was withheld, had previously filed a civil lawsuit against O'Neill and the city, alleging a portion of the assault was caught on a school's surveillance video. The lawsuit alleged O'Neill made racist remarks and made the woman touch his gun, which he rubbed against her during the assault.
If convicted, O'Neill faces a maximum possible sentence of a maximum of 10 years behind bars, 3 years of supervised release and $250,000 in fines, U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain said.
