Former Maypearl Police Chief sentenced to 40 years for sex crimes with child

Photo courtesy Ellis County Sheriff's Office.

Maypearl Police Chief Kevin Coffey was arrested by the Ellis County Sheriff's Office on July 22, 2015 on four felony arrest warrants, including sexual assault of a child.

ELLIS COUNTY — On Friday, February 17, 2017, an Ellis County jury found former Maypearl Police Chief, Kevin Coffey, 51, of Grandview, Texas, guilty of sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child by sexual contact.

The victim was 14 years old at the time of the events.

After the jury heard punishment evidence, on Tuesday, February 21, 2017, the jury assessed punishment at 20 years for the sexual assault of a child and 20 years for the indecency with a child by sexual contact. Judge Cindy Ermatinger sentenced Coffey and ordered the two 20 year sentences to run consecutively, meaning that Coffey will have to complete the sentence for the indecency with a child before the sentence on the sexual assault of a child commences.

"The Ellis County District Attorney’s Office wants to commend the hard work that Texas Ranger Adam Sweaney put into this case, as well as the courage of our victim and witnesses in coming forward to reveal the abuse suffered at the hands of the former Chief of Police," a press release from the Ellis County District Attorney's Office stated.

The evidence established that Coffey would be alone in his office with the child, and touch her sexually while in uniform. That he would talk with her over SKYPE on a regular basis, they spoke on SKYPE over 20 hours within a seven month period.

The jury also heard from other potential victims of former Chief Coffey, dating back over 17 years. Additionally, evidence was presented that Coffey possessed child pornography on his personal computer, along with several other images that were discovered to be females he had encountered as a result of his job as a police officer.

Coffey took the stand during the guilt-innocence phase of trial. During questioning by Assistant District Attorney Ricky Sipes, Mr. Coffey was asked if he was a “pervert,” in which Mr. Coffey responded, “well, yeah, I guess that I am.” During closing arguments Prosecutor Grace Pandithuri explained that not only was he a “pervert,” he was also a “predator.”

The jury deliberated approximately two hours to convict Coffey. It took less time for them to sentence him to the maximum sentence allowed.