A former Rochester police officer has been sentenced to 10 weekends in jail and 10 years of probation after pleading guilty to rape and forcible touching.
Shawn Jordan confessed to engaging in inappropriate behavior with a minor at his residence in South Bristol in 2022.
In September 2023, he was arrested, six months after facing charges in a separate case. The allegations involved him allegedly exposing himself to a 16-year-old girl during an online video chat, while he was still associated with RPD. Jordan was suspended without pay by the department on the same day he was arrested for those allegations.
During the sentencing, the Ontario County Judge was visibly stunned by Jordan’s actions, stating that they were beyond words.
“I’m thankful that it’s over for the victim and her family who are here today in court,” saidKelly Wolford, Assistant District Attorney of Ontario County. “I’m not entirely satisfied with the sentence, and it was my recommendation, and the court indicated that she was going to impose 10 weeks of jail plus 10 years of probation. But ultimately, as a prosecutor, I have to weigh things like the impact of actually having to testify on the victim of this crime, and she was a child, and she was going to have to base her accuser in the courtroom.”
The judge expressed strong disapproval of Jordan’s actions, stating that they betrayed the public’s trust. The judge also emphasized her belief that he should be sentenced to prison. However, she believes that the sentencing conditions were essential in order to protect the child from the burden of testifying in court.
“This is an ultimate tragedy, because these parents trusted him,” Wolford said. “He’s a police officer, and if we can’t trust the police, then who can we trust? It’s a very difficult situation. I’m a parent of three children myself, and it’s one of those circumstances where you just look at it and say ‘There, by the grace of God, go I.’ Because this was a child who trusted somebody, and he was an adult who knew better.”
The victim’s family was present at the sentencing on Wednesday. Jordan’s actions have had a devastating impact on her daughter’s life, according to her mother. She strongly believes that he should not be allowed to roam freely.
Jordan has been sentenced to register as a sex offender, comply with an order of protection for the victim and her family, and pay over $1,000 in fines, as stated by prosecutors.
