A former police officer from Killen, Alabama, has pleaded guilty to federal charges of civil rights violation and child sexual exploitation. Jarrod Gailen Webster admitted to sexually assaulting a woman during a traffic stop on November 12, 2023. He also confessed to receiving sexually explicit photos from a minor between June 2016 and October 2018.
During the plea agreement, Webster acknowledged violating the civil rights of a woman by handcuffing and assaulting her after she refused his advances during a traffic stop. Additionally, he admitted to requesting and receiving sexually explicit images from a minor, which included material classified as child sexual abuse.
U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona stated, "Jarrod Webster took an oath to protect and serve citizens of his community. He violated that oath when he sexually assaulted a woman and exploited a minor to produce and send sexually explicit images." Escalona emphasized the commitment to holding public officials accountable for their actions.
Carlton Peeples, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Birmingham Division, remarked on the seriousness of Webster's actions: "Police officers are given immense trust and responsibility to serve and protect, and are therefore held to a higher standard... Jarrod Gailen Webster disgraced the uniform when he abused his authority."
Webster has pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of sexual exploitation of children. His sentencing is scheduled for May 20, 2025. For the civil rights violation charge, he faces life imprisonment, five years supervised release, and up to $250,000 in fines. The child sexual exploitation charge carries a potential prison term of 15-30 years with similar fines.
The FBI Birmingham Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Royster is prosecuting the case alongside Senior Sex Crimes Counsel Maura White and Trial Attorney Sarah Howard from the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.