Officer Had 'Unwanted Sexual Contact' With Probationers, Officials Say

LOUISVILLE, KY — A former probation officer is accused of having unwanted sexual contact with people under his supervision, authorities said.

An indictment was unsealed Friday charging Ronald R. Tyler, 55, of Shepherdsville, with four counts of violating the civil rights of probationers by subjecting them to unwanted sexual conduct and one count of making a false statement to investigators, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. One of the civil rights counts alleged aggravated sexual abuse, the news release said.

Tyler was a Kentucky Department of Corrections probation and parole officer, and engaged in sexual contact that was not consensual with four people under his supervision, according to the news release. He also lied while being interviewed by state police in order to obstruct an investigation into whether he had sexually assaulted female probationers, the news release said.

If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, according to the news release.