Michele Beckwith Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California
Former Sanger Police Department officer J. DeShawn Torrence, 41, was sentenced to five consecutive life sentences by visiting U.S. District Judge Todd W. Robinson after being convicted of sexually assaulting four women while on duty. The sentencing follows a two-and-a-half-week trial in January 2025, during which a federal jury in the Eastern District of California found Torrence guilty of eight counts of deprivation of constitutional rights under color of law. Five counts involved kidnapping, aggravated sexual abuse, or attempted aggravated sexual abuse.
“The defendant’s conduct was premediated and depraved. He repeatedly abused his official authority to exploit women who expected the police to protect them,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “While no prison sentence can undo the extraordinary pain and suffering the defendant caused these women, today’s sentence of five consecutive life sentences holds the defendant accountable for his heinous conduct and sends a clear message that the Justice Department will aggressively prosecute those who violate the constitutional rights of the people they are sworn to protect.”
“I commend the court’s decision to impose life sentences on this former police officer, who betrayed the public’s trust and abused his authority to perpetrate heinous acts of sexual violence,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant. “This sentence sends a clear message: no one is above the law, and those who exploit their position to violate the civil rights of others will face the full force of justice. Our office stands with the victims and remains committed to protecting our communities from such egregious abuses of power.”
“We commend the courageous women who came forward, trusting law enforcement to ensure J.D. Torrence was held accountable for his crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “Their bravery has prevented this predator from harming anyone else. The FBI recognizes the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office for their unwavering partnership. Justice has been served, making our community safer.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Torrence kidnapped a 21-year-old woman as she walked to buy groceries for her children, drove her out of town in his police car, and sexually assaulted her at an isolated location while taunting her that nobody would look for her or believe her if she reported him.
The trial also showed that Torrence raped a second victim—a 67-year-old woman—after following her into her home during a DUI investigation and later stalked and intimidated her by parking outside her house before cornering and assaulting her again.
In another case described during trial proceedings, Torrence arrived at a third victim's home after midnight in uniform, entered without invitation, pinned her against a kitchen counter, and assaulted her.
Torrence also targeted a fourth victim—a domestic violence survivor—by returning multiple times under false pretenses related to prior incidents he claimed he needed to investigate; during these visits he forced inappropriate photographs under false claims about documenting injuries and ultimately assaulted her.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation with support from Fresno County Sheriff’s Office staff members. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar from the Eastern District of California and Special Litigation Counsel Michael J. Songer from the Civil Rights Division prosecuted this case.
