Authorities in West Virginia say a police officer has admitted to sexually abusing a young girl.
According to Marion County Sheriff Roger Cunningham, 45-year-old Christopher Allen Guinup has been arrested and charged with first-degree sexual abuse and sexual abuse by a parent or guardian.
In May, the sheriff’s office received a referral from child protective services to investigate allegations of sexual abuse made by a now-13-year-old girl.
The abuse reported occurred in 2021 when the victim was 9, Cunningham said.
Guinup was interviewed about the abuse twice, and he admitted to it during the second interview, according to deputies.
According to Cunningham, Guinup was placed on administrative leave by the Fairmont Police Department before his arrest.
The city stated on Wednesday, stating that they would immediately begin the process of terminating his employment.
“We want to be clear on the seriousness of the allegations against Christopher Guinup: they are a blemish on the badge of law enforcement and an affront to the profession,” the city’s press release stated. “They in no way reflect the character and quality of our law enforcement personnel, and we condemn them in the strongest possible terms.”
Guinup is currently being transported to the North Central Regional Jail, where his bond is set at $100,000.
In a separate incident, Guinup was named in a wrongful death lawsuit filed in March 2020 for a man killed in a car accident with a police truck.
According to the lawsuit, Guinup was a passenger in a police truck traveling at 73 mph in a 35 mph zone when there was no emergency. Guinup was named in the lawsuit for failing to take any action to get the officer driving the truck to slow down or activate the siren or flashing lights.
According to a court filing from August 2020, the victim’s wife reached a tentative $1.8 million settlement with the city of Fairmont, the officer driving, and Guinup.
Reference: Police officer admits to sexually abusing 9-year-old girl, sheriff says