WASHINGTON – A local police officer has been charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor after bringing a 17-year-old boy to a Stafford County motel.
Stafford County sheriff’s officials say deputies saw the teen walking on Warrenton Road at about 2:41 a.m. Saturday. The boy said he had locked himself out of his room at a Motel 6, and the man who rented the room would be returning later. Brent Taylor — a 24-year-veteran of the Fredericksburg Police Department and the head of the force’s detective division — came back to the room later that morning and was arrested.
Officials say an early investigation indicates Taylor, 46, made initial contact with the teen on the Internet, picked him up in Fairfax without parental permission and brought him to the motel.
Investigators haven’t said what they believed happened at the motel. The charge against Taylor is a misdemeanor, and prosecutors won’t comment on whether additional charges are expected.
A Fredericksburg police spokesperson says the department’s chief was completely surprised when told of the arrest, and city police are cooperating with Stafford County investigators and prosecutors.
Taylor has been released on his own recognizance and is at home on administrative leave with pay while an internal police investigation is conducted.
WTOP’s Neal Augenstein contributed to this report. Follow Neal and WTOP on Twitter.
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