By
Greg Sowinski -
IMA
— A judge told a former Bluffton auxiliary police officer he was troubled by
the fact a police officer, who is supposed to guard against crime, violated the
law by committing a sex crime against a child.
“He’s in a position he’s supposed to prevent
offenses like this from happening or bring others who commit offenses like this
to justice,” said Judge Jeffrey Reed of Allen County Common Pleas Court.
Reed’s
words came Monday just before he sentenced 24-year-old Andrew Probst to four
years in prison on eight counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
Probst
declined to make a statement but his attorney, Bill Kluge, said Probst accepts
responsibility. Kluge said it cost Probst his career as a police officer.
Probst
was 23 years old when he began a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl.
That relationship occurred between Sept. 1, 2012, and Jan. 20, said Assistant
Allen County Prosecutor Terri Kohlrieser.
The
crimes were unrelated to Probst’s job with the Bluffton Police Department,
which he worked for as an unpaid auxiliary officer. Probst was hired Nov. 14,
2011, and resigned Feb. 17.
The
girl told a staff member at the school she attends and that staff member, who
is required by law to report such crimes, reported the matter to Allen County
Children Services, Kohlrieser said.