Judge sets trial date for suspended South Bend Police officer accused of child seduction
SOUTH BEND — At a recent hearing, Superior Court Judge Stephanie Steele set a trial date for Rico Butler, a South Bend Police officer currently on unpaid leave who was charged with two counts of child seduction on March 2.
The trial will begin at noon Aug. 5. Butler also is due in court at 8:30 a.m. July 8 for a pre-trial conference, his next appearance before Steele.
St. Joseph County police arrested Butler on March 2 after allegations of a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl came to light. He was suspended without pay after a unanimous Board of Public Safety decision on March 13.
Court documents revealed the girl was a student at a high school in Mishawaka where Butler worked as a part time school resource officer and basketball coach during the 2022-2023 school year. The documents did not name the school, but The Tribune determined the school appears to be New Vision Christian Academy on North Logan Street, where the defendant's mother, Ivy Butler, serves as the head of the school.
In court documents, prosecutors claim that Butler communicated with the girl regularly on Snapchat. On Feb. 29, the Department of Child Services received an anonymous report alleging sexual abuse between Butler and the girl. The source indicated that a friend of the victim has Snapchat screenshots between Butler and the victim. The prosecutors obtained a search warrant for cellphone records and Snapchat messages. They submitted a return on a cellphone warrant, on March 14 and a return on a Snapchat warrant on March 21.
Butler's attorney filed a motion for discovery, and the prosecution sent several items and folders of evidence on April 12, including GPS information, a redacted letter and a redacted SVU report.
Butler arrived at the St. Joseph County Courthouse 3 on April 15 for his initial hearing with Steele. He stood before a full room, with over half of the attendees apparently there to support him, in a navy pinstriped suit as he addressed the judge.
Their conversation was short. Steele asked Butler to use the paper before him to write down the dates for the pre-trial conference and the trial. He confirmed them, then left. Twenty-eight individuals — rows of people — stood and left with him.
Email Tribune staff writer Camille Sarabia at csarabia@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend Police officer assigned trial date in child seduction case
