Christopher Osborne, Sexual Assault of a Minor, West Virginia 2024

A former West Virginia police officer and firefighter was sentenced to 14 years in prison for forcibly raping a minor in a bunk room at the Danville Fire Department in Danville, West Virginia. Christopher Osborne, 26, pleaded guilty to violating the civil rights of a minor victim.

According to court documents, Osborne previously admitted that on or about January 19, 2021, while he was an officer with the Marmet Police Department in Marmet, West Virginia, and a firefighter with both the Charleston Fire Department in Charleston, West Virginia, and the Danville Volunteer Fire Department, he used his position, authority, and status as a firefighter to forcibly sexually assault the victim.

The victim told Osborne that she did not want to have sex, but he held her down and sexually assaulted her anyway, causing her pain and injury. Osborne’s actions were described as inexcusable and appalling by FBI officials.

The FBI Pittsburgh Field Division and its Charleston resident agency investigated this case with the support of the West Virginia State Police and the West Virginia Office of the State Fire Marshal. Trial Attorney Kathryn E. Gilbert of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Herrald and Julie White for the Southern District of West Virginia prosecuted the case.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division commended the minor victim for the courage and strength she demonstrated throughout the case.

Osborne’s sentence was a result of his guilty plea to violating the civil rights of a minor victim by forcibly raping her. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender under the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act and serve five years of supervised release.

The case serves as a testament to the courage of the victim who came forward to tell her story. The Justice Department will continue to seek justice for such victims and hold accountable perpetrators who abuse their authority to target the vulnerable.