Crime & Safety
Cleveland Police Officer Guilty Of Gross Sexual Imposition
A Cleveland police officer was found guilty of gross sexual imposition, but not rape, on Monday.
CLEVELAND — A Cleveland police officer was found guilty of gross sexual imposition on Monday.
Officer Matthew Piter, 28, was found guilty on two counts of gross sexual imposition after a trial in the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. He was found not guilty of rape.
Judge John Russo said he believed Piter's accusers, but did not think the presented evidence supported a rape charge, News 5 reported.
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Piter will be sentenced on Feb. 29. Piter was suspended by Cleveland police, without pay, when the charges against him were first announced and he will remain suspended until after the sentencing.
He will have to register as a Tier I sex offender as a result of Monday's verdict.
Find out what's happening in Clevelandfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Piter was hired by Cleveland police in 2016. He worked in the city's Second District.
In 2019, Piter was accused of forcing a woman against a wall and sexually assaulting her, Fox 8 reported. A second woman then came forward and accused Piter of sexually assaulting her in 2017.
Piter's attorney did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment.
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