A Federal Way officer who recently resigned is accused of sending sexual photos and videos to a woman he met while responding to a call at her mother’s home.
The incident is not the first time Officer Ashley Crispin was accused of misconduct.
Crispin was disciplined for conduct on three different occasions in 2007, 2009 and 2010. Two were traffic collisions and one was for trying to foster a intimate relationship with an adult police Explorer, a Federal Way police news release said.
FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — >>> Read more about this case from The Federal Way Mirror.
In that June incident, Megan Graham called 911 to report an officer bullying her during her own arrest. She received a bruised right eye and major bruising on her face during the incident, but investigators said the force was reasonable.
But the officer’s conduct continued to be controversial.
On April 23, the department received an indirect complaint regarding unwanted sexual advances involving Crispin.
According to police documents, the complaint was relayed to police by a Lynnwood police recruit who was staying at a SeaTac hotel while attending the Basic Law Enforcement Academy. A woman who worked at the hotel told him an officer who came to her mother’s home for an incident was sending her unwanted sex photos and videos, but she did not divulge the officer’s name.
Police found that Crispin was the officer that responded to the call and told him of the allegations.
Police said Crispin denied the allegations and was reluctant to participate in an internal investigation. The investigation was later closed as unfounded on May 15.
On June 5, Crispin said he was being threatened by the woman in the earlier complaint. As the complaint was being investigated, the woman said she “was not going to protect Officer Crispin anymore” and provided information about his unwanted sexual advances, police documents said.
The woman told Federal Way police that Crispin sent her as many as eight photos and videos, some of which were sexual in nature. One photo showed a picture of a white man who was exposing himself, but the man’s face was not in the photo. She also said Crispin sent two videos of himself masturbating.
“Any time you’re taking official action, serving as an officer in uniform, having [sexual] contact that becomes very concerning,” said Federal Way Police chief Brian Wilson.
According to the police investigation, after Federal Way police discovered the allegations, Crispin encouraged the woman to delete all the pictures and refused to cooperate with investigators.
Police were able to recover some of the deleted images from the woman’s phone and determined they had been sent from Crispin’s phone. Crispin was also accused of making repeated unwanted phone calls and sending text messages to the woman.
One of those photos, second from the top, at left, was provided to The Federal Way Mirror.
The victim also claimed the married officer asked if they could get together for sex on his days off.
On June 23, a notice of a standards investigation was served to Crispin. He submitted his resignation the following day. It became official on July 8.
According to the internal report, there were two additional women who may have received inappropriate texts or sexual advances from Crispin, one of whom he had arrested.
Federal Way Police Chief Brian Wilson has launched a criminal investigation into that case, and has recommended the state de-certify Crispin, which would make it difficult for him to get another job in the state as a police officer.
KIRO 7 knocked on the door of Crispin’s house. No one came to the door, despite there bignt wo cars in the driveway and movement inside.
Neighbor Melissa King described herself as a good friend of the Crispin family. She said she did not think anything was wrong with their marriage and finds all the allegations hard to believe.
“They do all kinds of things together as a family,” King said. “He’s a great dad, she’s a great mom.”
KIRO