The Hutchinson News Published 5:08 p.m. CT April 10, 2023
HUTCHINSON, Kan. − A former Hutchinson Police officer pleaded guilty to multiple counts of sexual crimes in court on Monday.
Todd W. Allen, who was arrested in August for allegedly taking part in a series of sexual assaults that occurred in Hutchinson, appeared in Reno County District Court for his preliminary hearing at 2:30 p.m. on April 10. He pleaded guilty to 12 felony sex crime charges and five breech of privacy charges.
After months of postponing the preliminary hearing date, Allen, who was arrested in 2022 for allegedly taking part in a series of sexual crimes, including rape and kidnapping, that occurred in Hutchinson between 2012 and 2018 appeared before District Magistrate Judge Jeff Newsum for his pretrial.
Hutchinson Police arrested Allen on Aug. 17, 2022. The next day, he was charged with 24 counts, including 17 felonies. They included two counts of kidnapping, five counts of rape, two counts of sexual battery, indecent liberties with a child involving a 14- or 15-year-old, and five counts of breach of privacy. Allen was an officer with the Hutchinson Police Department while many of these acts occurred.
Details in the complaint indicate 10 sexual assault victims, with another five victims of alleged breach of privacy. The five breach-of-privacy charges occurred after Allen left the police department and took a security job. The last sexual battery and kidnapping charge was in August 2018, before Allen resigned from the force on Jan. 9, 2019.
After Allen left the police force, until the time of his arrest, he was employed as a security officer with Hutchinson Regional Medical Center.
Police officer plea deal
Allen agreed to a 282-month plea deal, meaning he cannot serve more than 23 1/2 years for his sentence. He is allowed, however, to get less time for good behavior. The least number of years he can serve would be 20. He must register as a sex offender and also reimburse the court for related court, Kansas Bureau of Investigation, supervision and DNA fees.
He agreed to waive his rights to a pretrial, a formal arraignment, a jury trial and an appeal. He stated he understood his rights and pleaded guilty.
All the assaults took place in one of three outdoor locations
All of the assaults took place in one of three locations: Rice Park, Carey Park or Joy Valley Sports Complex. Most of the victims, who were all female, had either a friend, brother or boyfriend in the car with them. Allen rapped on the car of each victim, shone a bright flashlight into their car and told the occupants he was either a police officer or a park security officer. Each female victim believed him and left the car at his request. He told the person in the car with them to stay in the car. He continued to shine a light in the victim's eyes, obscuring that he was dressed in dark clothes with a face covering.
During most occasions, Allen told the women and the 15-year-old girl to go to the outside back of the car, where he reached under each woman's shirt and 'fondled' her. He also reached his hands down the front of several victims' pants and digitally penetrated several victims. During all this time, he was interrogating the victim about drugs.
At varying points when each female realized he might not be who he said he was, they screamed, and he ran, sometimes going to a vehicle or a bicycle.
Allen was caught after he was found on a citizen's security tape, looking over a fence. He had looked into windows on several prior occasions. One time he removed a stepstool from the back of someone's property and attempted to peer in the window.
Officer who pleaded guilty accessed his own assault records while in department
According to Reno County District Attorney Thomas Stanton, Allen said the encounters were sexually motivated and he said he was sexually aroused. Stanton said Allen, as a police officer, was not on duty during any of the counts he is charged with. Allen also looked at each record of the assaults that he perpetrated several times while he was employed with the Hutchinson Police Department.
"He searched and reviewed many of the cases multiple times," Stanton said.
Allen is a graduate of Hutchinson High School. After high school, he attended Emporia State University, receiving a bachelor’s degree in sociology in May 1994. Several months after graduation, on Oct. 3, 1994, he became an officer of the Hutchinson Police Department.
Allen is free on $250,000 bond. Allen’s bond conditions include wearing a GPS ankle monitor and not having any alcohol, drugs or contact with victims. His lawyer is Chrystal Lee Krier of Wichita. Sentencing will occur in May.