Former Texas sheriff admits to being a rapist with a badge

January 29, 8:46 PMCivil Liberties ExaminerJ.D. Tuccille

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A piece of tin doesn't
necessarily mean much.

Law-enforcement officers are supposed to be protectors of the public. As such, they make claim to certain rights and privileges in the use of force and other techniques denied the rest of us. They demand deference from the masses for the supposed extra risks they take in keeping the peace. And then ... every now and then one of them reminds us that it's not always wise to hand carte blanche to normal humans with feet of clay -- or worse, the souls of sexual predators. Predators like former Sheriff William E. Keating of Montague County, Texas.

On January 29, 2009, 62-year-old Bill Keating pleaded guilty in federal court to extorting sex from a woman as the price for avoiding drug charges. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas:

[A]t approximately 9:00 a.m. on Friday, November 14, 2008, Sheriff Keating, dressed in civilian clothes with his sheriff’s badge and gun in plain view on his belt, and other Montague County Sheriff’s Office employees, executed an arrest warrant at a residence occupied by the victim, L.M., and her boyfriend. As they entered the residence, L.M. and her boyfriend were asleep in a bedroom of the house. Sheriff deputies arrested the boyfriend on the outstanding warrant and removed him from the bedroom. Deputies searched the residence and discovered a bag that contained utensils and other articles used to manufacture methamphetamine. Deputies also located a plastic container that appeared to have trace amounts of methamphetamine on it.

After deputies removed the arrested man from the bedroom, Sheriff Keating ordered the other deputy to leave the bedroom so that L.M. could get dressed. Sheriff Keating then closed the door and, once alone with L.M., told her, “You are about to be my new best friend.” He told her that he found illegal drugs in the residence that belonged to her and that for her to avoid going to jail, she would be required to “assist” him. Keating admitted that the assistance he referred to included oral sex with him on multiple occasions and an agreement to act as an informant for the Montague County Sheriff’s Office. Keating told L.M. that if she complied with his request, that he would help her get a job, a place to live and that she wouldn’t be criminally charged with possessing any drugs or drug-making equipment that was found in the home. Keating also told her that if she didn’t comply, she would go straight to jail.

In court, Keating disputed none of the elements of the charges against him.

Of course, it's still good to be a cop. Keating was allowed to roam the streets until Judge Robert K. Roach decides what to do with him. According to news reports, Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert "said he did not oppose Keating's remaining free until the sentencing because this crime and other alleged misdeeds happened when he was acting as the sheriff..."

Rape, apparently, isn't quite so bad when you're wearing a badge.

State authorities plan to take their own crack at Keating. Maybe they'll dig a little deeper and ask him just what he did, and who he did it to, with that "rack made of nails" discovered in the jail he administered until the end of last year.

Contact J.D.: civilliberties (at) tuccille.com