Federal Judge Samuel B. Kent Indicted for Sexual Misconduct

Federal prosecutors have dropped the hammer on U.S. District Judge Samuel B. Kent with a superseding indictment that includes serious charges of sexual misconduct and obstruction of justice.

The feds allege that the 59-year-old judge engaged in aggravated sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact with a court employee, and they also charge him with obstructing justice during an investigation into his behavior.

Kent was first indicted in August 2008 on counts of attempted aggravated sexual abuse and two counts of abusive sexual contact against another clerk’s office employee. The new indictment adds three additional counts based on allegations involving a third victim, who is also a court employee.

The obstruction of justice charge stems from Kent’s alleged actions related to an inquiry by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit into a complaint of judicial misconduct filed against him by the clerk’s office employee.

Senior Deputy Chief for Litigation Peter J. Ainsworth and Trial Attorneys John P. Pearson and AnnaLou T. Tirol from the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section will be handling the prosecution, with the FBI conducting the investigation.

As always, an indictment is merely an allegation, and Kent is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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