Ex-Cop Charged With Abusing Kids While On Duty
FLINT (WWJ/AP) - A 66-year-old retired Flint police sergeant has been charged with sexually assaulting children when he was on duty in the late 1990s.
Lawrence Woods on Friday was charged with 16 counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. He was returned to jail without bond.
Authorities say the assaults took place from 1996 until 1999. Some acts occurred at the police department and in police vehicles.
Flint Sgt. Karl Petrich said child pornography, including hundreds of images of minors, was seized Thursday at homes where Woods has stayed.
"These victims were photographed, we believe, by him in his apartment and at a local hotel room," he said.
Defense attorney Frank Manley told The Flint Journal the allegations are "very serious."
"Obviously, we are in the initial portion of our investigation, but we expect to have a successful outcome," Manley said.
Woods faces at least 25 years in prison if convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. A hearing to determine if there's probable cause to send him to trial is set for Oct. 2.
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