CAHOKIA, Ill. — A southern Illinois sheriff's deputy is accused of twice assaulting a woman in her home.
St. Clair County Deputy Robert Sneed is charged with two counts of official misconduct and is on paid administrative leave. He posted a $2,500 bond this month, the Belleville News-Democrat reported.
Court records show Sneed pulled the woman over in February and followed her to her home in Cahokia after telling her she needed to show him her car's title. Cahokia is a St. Louis suburb on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River.
Police say Sneed sexually assaulted the woman in her home and suggested she could be jailed if she didn't comply.
"She thought that was the end of it," said Joe Agles, a detective with Cahokia police.
The victim said Sneed returned to her home in August while armed and sexually assaulted her again. Police were called after she was examined at a hospital. The victim told police she made sure there was physical evidence left from the assault.
St. Clair County Sheriff Rick Watson said that asking for a car title isn't regular practice during a traffic stop, but officers may need to see it if the license plate, insurance or registration doesn't reflect what the driver tells them.
"It's not routine, it's far from routine, but you do run into situations when you need a car title," Watson said, adding that a deputy may have to follow a person back to where the title is. "The thing is we are not out there to write everyone a ticket. If you are in transition, you could be virtually driving a new car home to get it all legal when we pull you over."
State's Attorney Brendan Kelly declined to comment. An investigation is ongoing.