Desmond Logan, Rape, Tennessee 2018

Desmond Logan, 35, a former Chattanooga Police Department officer, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison — the maximum penalty allowed by law — for raping multiple women while on duty. U.S. District Judge Curtis L. Collier handed down the sentence in the Eastern District of Tennessee, slamming Logan for weaponizing his badge to commit sexual violence.

Logan pleaded guilty on September 12, 2019, to two counts of violating civil rights through sexual assault. The first crime occurred on June 12, 2018, when he arrested K.B.V., cuffed her, then bypassed standard procedure and drove her in his squad car to an isolated parking lot. There, he sexually assaulted her. Instead of taking her to Hamilton County Jail, he took her dignity.

The second conviction stems from January 2, 2016. Logan was working security at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He entered D.H.’s vehicle, claiming he needed a ride to his car. He directed her to a remote lot, pulled out his taser, pressed it against her leg, and blocked her escape. The threat of force silenced her resistance — but not her memory.

As part of his plea, Logan admitted to two additional assaults: one on July 31, 2015, and another on May 30, 2016. In both cases, he arrested the women, ignored protocol, and drove them to abandoned areas where he sexually assaulted them. Each time, he wore a badge. Each time, he turned protection into predation.

“The Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute officers who commit sexual assault,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “This case is a reminder that sexual assault allegations involving law enforcement officers should be fully investigated.” U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey added, “Logan jeopardized public safety and violated the trust of the citizens he swore to protect.”

The FBI’s Knoxville Field Office led the investigation, with support from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. Logan will serve three years of supervised release after his 20-year sentence and must register as a sex offender in any state where he lives, works, or studies. Prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James Brooks and DOJ attorneys Fara Gold and Olimpia Michel, the case stands as a rare but necessary federal rebuke to corrupt cops who rape under color of law.

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