FAYETTEVILLE — A former police officer was charged Tuesday with rape and sexual assault.
James Stiles is charged with one count of rape, two counts of second-degree sexual assault, two counts of residential burglary and one count of releasing or disclosing information to an unauthorized person. All the charges are felonies.
Stiles is scheduled to be arraigned today in Washington County Circuit Court.
Stiles was arrested Dec. 20 in connection with sexually assaulting a Fayetteville woman in October and sexually assaulting a Fayetteville Police Department dispatcher last summer.
A woman reported Nov. 10 she awoke nude to Stiles in uniform standing in her bedroom about 4:30 a.m. Oct. 27. She said he touched her breast inappropriately before leaving, according to investigation documents.
At A Glance
The Commission
The Civil Service Commission is responsible for examining and establishing eligibility for appointments and promotions. The panel, which is made up of seven residents, also acts upon appeals from employees and disciplinary action by the mayor, police and fire chiefs.
SOURCE: Staff Report
Stiles went to a bar on North Block Avenue because a woman had passed out, according to reports. Stiles took the intoxicated woman home rather than arresting her and taking her to jail. The investigation found Stiles stayed at the woman’s apartment for about half an hour and returned to the complex at least two times after taking her home.
During the department’s internal investigation, a former dispatcher reported Stiles sexually assaulted her in July in the driveway at her home. The woman was employed by the Police Department at the time.
Detectives said Stiles used police records to find the woman’s address.
The dispatcher confided in Cpl. David Nguyen that Stiles had sexually assaulted her while he was ion duty, according to the internal investigation documents.
Stiles was also charged Tuesday with illegally entering an apartment a year earlier, on Oct. 31, 2012. No other information about that incident was available Tuesday evening.
Stiles was fired from the department Dec. 16 after he failed to cooperate with detectives in their investigation — a requirement for an officer.
Nguyen was fired from the department Jan. 3 for violating departmental policy.
According to a termination letter from Chief Greg Tabor, Nguyen failed to report the dispatcher’s complaint against Stiles.
Nguyen told investigators the dispatcher told him not to tell anyone about the incident, the letter said.
Nguyen cancelled an appeal hearing Tuesday before the Civil Service Commission.
“It was David’s desire to take the path of least resistance,” said Nguyen’s attorney, Andrew Miller of Rogers.
Police Sgt. Craig Stout said Nguyen had been a police officer with the department since May 23, 2005.
“He had the right to appeal the termination,” Stout said. “Now that the hearing has been cancelled, he doesn’t have any other recourse.”
Tabor’s letter of termination states Nguyen violated departmental policies regarding integrity and disciplinary matters and award procedures.
Tabor amended the termination letter Monday by dropping the integrity violation.
“The only issue David had was with the integrity issue,” Miller said. “They dropped that so he’s ready to move on.”