Former Kokomo Police Department officer Sinmi Asomuyide was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Judge Sentences Asomuyide After Jury Conviction
Chief U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II imposed the sentence after a federal jury found Asomuyide guilty in June 2026 following a five-day trial. The jury convicted him of deprivation of rights under color of law, witness tampering, and destruction of records.
According to court documents, Asomuyide was 31 years old on June 30, 2024, when he and another KPD officer responded to a 911 call from a father reporting his 14-year-old daughter as a runaway. The officers located the teenager at another underage girl’s home and took her into custody.
Asomuyide transported the girl to the Kinsey Youth Center in Kokomo. Breaking internal agency rules, he deactivated his body-worn camera as he drove into the building’s sallyport garage. He took her cellphone, used it to call his personal TextNow number, and questioned her about her sexual history.
During a pat-down search, Asomuyide found a vape pen in the teenager’s pocket. He escorted her to a side room inside the youth center and told her he would contact her later to return the item.
Asomuyide Kidnapped and Sexually Assaulted the Teenager
Later that evening, Asomuyide requested overtime at the police station under the guise of finishing paperwork from 10 p.m. to midnight. Instead, he left the station in uniform to pick up the teenager from a family friend’s apartment.
He demanded to speak with her privately before handcuffing her in the back of his squad car. GPS data from his vehicle showed he drove to an empty warehouse parking lot.
He uncuffed the girl, moved her to the front seat and sexually assaulted her. After, Asomuyide put the handcuffs back on and drove the minor back to the apartment complex.
Court documents and trial evidence
The victim reported the assault to her family and law enforcement, prompting an investigation by the Indiana State Police. Detectives discovered a dried seminal residue containing Asomuyide’s genetic profile on the center console of his police cruiser.
Asomuyide Lied to Detectives and Had Prior Misconduct Allegations
When interviewed by state police detectives about a week after the assault, Asomuyide denied giving the girl his phone number and claimed she had contacted him on a work phone, although KPD officers are not issued work phones.
A forensic examination of his mobile phone revealed searches made within hours of the assault.
Investigators also uncovered a previous allegation of sexual misconduct from his prior employment with the Portsmouth Police Department in Virginia. Asomuyide had been forced to resign following an allegation that he had sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old while off duty.
During his application process with the Kokomo Police Department, he falsely described his exit by claiming he stepped down because he had been associating with a 17-year-old girl who lied about being 19.
Official Reactions
“This defendant will be held accountable for the kidnapping and sexual abuse of a child. We hope the victim will be able to recover and prosper despite this horrific episode,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon.
“What makes these crimes particularly disturbing is that he used the very tools, training, and authority entrusted to him as a police officer not only to assault a vulnerable child, but to try to conceal it,” said Tom Wheeler, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.
“The very people entrusted with protecting children must never become the ones who victimize them. This defendant preyed on a 14-year-old girl and then attempted to cover up his crimes,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge O’Malley.
“The Indiana State Police aggressively investigates crimes committed against children, especially when perpetrated by individuals placed in positions of immense trust,” said Captain Ron Galaviz, ISP Chief Public Information Officer.