Former 49th Precinct Commander Deputy Inspector Keith Walton was indicted Wednesday, December 14, on sex abuse charges just as a separate civil lawsuit was filed against him by another former subordinate.
Walton, 44, was indicted and arraigned in Bronx County Court before Supreme Court Justice Steven Barrett on three counts of first-degree sexual abuse, a class D violent felony; two counts of forcible touching, a class A misdemeanor; three counts of third-degree sexual abuse, a class B misdemeanor; official misconduct, a class A misdemeanor and second-degree harassment, a violation.
“The defendant allegedly sexually abused an officer who was under his command, in the police stationhouse where they serve and protect the public,” stated District Attorney Darcel Clark in a release outlinng the indictment. “By his degrading behavior, he abused the trust of his officers, as well as that of the residents of the 49th Precinct.”
According to court documents, on Sunday, November 6 at the 2121 Eastchester Road stationhouse, Walton instructed the defendant, a female officer, to come into his office and then forcefully pulled her hair and attempted to kiss her on the mouth.
Walton then placed his hand on the alleged victim’s genital area over her clothing, according to the complaint.
When the alleged victim attempted to leave Walton’s office, he forcefully asked her, ‘Where the hell are you going?’ Walton then again put his hand on her genital area over her clothing and then placed the woman’s hand on his erect penis over his clothing twice, according to the criminal complaint.
“I’m leaving soon, don’t f#*& with me – remember, remember,” Walton allegedly told the victim.
The victim also claimed she tried to push Walton’s hands off her body and verbally told him to stop touching her.
Walton was then recorded days later by the victim trying to downplay the alleged incident, saying he didn’t remember any resistance by the victim and then asked her for a hug.
Walton could face up to seven years in prison if convicted on the most serious charge, first-degree sexual abuse.
He has since been suspended from the NYPD while the case is ongoing, and was replaced by Captain Thomas Alps.
Calls to Walton’s attorney, Louis La Pietra, were not immediately returned.
Walton’s indictment came the same day as a federal lawsuit was filed against him and other NYPD officials by another officer who had previously served under him, alleging she was the victim of retaliation after failing to meet monthly ticket-writing quotas
The plaintiff, Michelle Hernandez, alleged she was pressured to meet illegal ticket quota disguised as performance goals while serving in the 49th and 44th precincts.
The city, current NYPD Commissioner James O’Neil, former commissioners Ray Kelly and William Bratton, former 44th Precinct Deputy Inspector Kevin Catalina and Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson were also named as defendants in the suit filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Hernandez’s complaint alleges officers who failed to meet the quotas were punished with undesirable assignments, loss of overtime, denial of leave, separation from their NYPD partners and poor evaluations.
The pressure to meet the quotas led to unnecessary harassment of residents of color, the complaint also alleges.
Hernandez sued the city for $75 million in damages in August due to the same alleged retaliation for failing to meet ticket quotas, according to published reports.
The officer also alleged she was told by Catalina to drop a ticket she wrote after pulling over Gibson in 2014 for talking on her mobile phone while driving.
Gibson has denied the incident happened.
