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TikTok video of Columbus police officers responding to sexual misconduct allegation involving minor goes viral
The doorbell camera video was captioned: “My daughter was a victim [of] a online predator. She's 11, he's a grown man."
Two Columbus police officers are under the scanner for their response to a call for service regarding sexual misconduct involving a minor after a video of the incident went viral on social media platform TikTok.
The doorbell camera video was captioned: “My daughter was a victim [of] a online predator. She's 11 he's a grown man. He manipulated her into sending pictures of herself. This was the police response at midnight we called at 6."
Reacting, the Columbus Division of Polices confirmed the video and said: “
“The Columbus Division of Police acknowledges a video being shared on social media involving two officers responding to a call for service. The Division of Police regards all allegations of sexual misconduct with the utmost seriousness. Incidents involving minors are handled with the highest degree of concern. Sexual Assault Unit detectives were immediately notified of the incident and have since initiated an investigation."
In video, a male and a female officer are shown talking up to the front porch and knocking.
A man is seen approaching the door. Here’s the exchange of what was audible in the TikTok video:
Man in the house: She's in bed now.
Female Officer: It still happened, though, right?
Man in the house: Yeah, yeah, yeah, the whole point, I just wanted you guys to come over and talk to her. I just want her to realize what this was. I mean, reality is not much I probably can do about it, is there?
Female Officer: I mean, she can probably get charged with child porn.
Man in the house: Who, she can? She's 11 years old.
Female Officer: She's creating it, right?
Man in the house: She's 11 years old.
Female Officer: Doesn't matter. She's still making porn.
Man in the house: No, she's not. She's being manipulated by a grown (expletive) adult on the internet.
Female Officer: Is she taking pictures, though?
The man in the house then dismisses the officers and tells them to have a good evening and thanks them for coming.
X users reacted angrily to the video.
One wrote: “Your officers threatened to arrest an 11 year old girl who had been groomed by an online predator. Delete your division.”
Another wrote: “Defund the govt. Taxpayers should refuse property tax payments until this is resolved IMO!”
A third piped in: “After waiting 6 hours, 2 Columbus cops showed up at victim’s home in the middle of the night to blame an 11 year old girl for being groomed online.”
The process for any discplinary action will also involve the Inspector General’s Office reviewing the complaint which will then be reviewed by the Columbus Civilian Police Review Board.
The final decision to implement any punishment will be left to Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant. Earlier, users mistakenly thought that the officers in the video were from the Marysville Division of Police. The Marysville, Ohio Police said: “We do not know where this took place, but are certain it was not in Marysville, Ohio."
