Ex-columbus officer admits to sex offense

A former Columbus police officer pleaded guilty Thursday to a felony charge of gross sexual imposition for inappropriately touching a 10-year-old girl whom he also was accused of videotaping naked.

Raymond A. Rose III, 31, of the East Side, could be placed on probation or sent to prison for up to five years when he is sentenced on March 23 by Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Dan Hawkins.

Rose must also register as a sex offender every six months for the next 25 years.

Felony charges against Rose for use of a minor in nudity-oriented video material and pandering sexually-oriented video material involving a minor were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

According to court records, Rose was off duty when he videotaped the private area of the girl on July 20, 2020, inside a private residence. He was arrested three months later after an investigation by the Franklin County Sheriff ’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor Sayje Brown told the judge that the child’s mother found the video on Rose’s phone.

The incident was reported to the Columbus police internal affairs unit. Because a Columbus police officer was involved and was accused of an offduty crime, the police division turned the investigation over to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

Rose, who was placed on administrative leave by Columbus police when the charges were filed, “resigned in bad standing” from the division on April 14, 2021, said Sgt. James Fuqua, a police spokesman.

Rose had worked as a patrol bureau officer since 2015. jfutty@dispatch.com @johnfutty