More than two years after an off-duty Prince George’s County, Maryland, police officer sexually assaulted a woman at a party, a jury has convicted him in the crime.
A jury found Lt. Richard Tallant, 46, guilty of a second-degree sex offense on Thursday, following a three-day trial.
Two other officers discovered Tallant sexually assaulting a co-worker after she left a party outside the Fraternal Order of Police in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, in February 2017.
She told investigators that Tallant followed her behind the building to the woods, where he tackled her to the ground, pinned her down and assaulted her.
At the time, Tallant had been serving as a police officer for 20 years.
The police department suspended Tallant after learning of the allegations in April 2019 and launched an internal investigation.
A separate investigation by the state’s attorney’s office presented evidence to a grand jury that indicted Tallant in September.
“It is difficult for survivors of sexual assault to come forward. In this case, a police officer violated the trust of a woman he works with. This kind of behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” said Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy.
“No one deserves to be violated in this way. Lt. Tallant made a bad choice and will now be held accountable for his deplorable actions,” she added.
Tallant faces a maximum 20-year prison sentence.
