Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper charged with sex crimes while on the job
VINITA, Okla. – An Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper accused of sexual misconduct during a traffic stop is free on $50,000 bail.
Jackie Rhinehart, 52, of Miami, is a 25-year OHP veteran. He is charged in Craig County District Court with sexual battery and forcible sodomy, both felonies.
Rhinehart is currently on administrative leave, according to an Oklahoma Highway Patrol statement released on Wednesday.
Rhinehart’s actions are not in keeping with OHP’s core values of honesty, loyalty, integrity, respect, self-discipline, and professionalism. As soon as we discovered the potential for criminal or unethical behavior, our agency took swift action. Rhinehart’s behavior is deplorable and has no place within the organization. The public puts great trust in law enforcement and we strive every day to be deserving of that trust.
Department of Public Safety Commissioner Tim Tipton
The incident was uncovered by an OHP supervisor performing a routine check of dashcam video, according to a statement. The video centered around Rhinehart making a traffic stop while on duty.
The discovery of highly questionable behavior by Rhinehart led to a thorough investigation including contact with the alleged victim, the statement says.
What happened?
On March 7, Rhinehart initiated a traffic stop for speeding with a 2021 white Freightliner tractor-trailer on Interstate 44 around 1 a.m. at the Big Cabin eastbound on-ramp.
The driver, was a 58-year-old Hispanic female (HF) who told OHP investigators she felt as if she had to do everything Rhinehart said because he was an officer and had a gun.
Rhinehart is accused of making a non-verbal gesture to the driver that she Interpreted as the trooper wanting her to go into the sleeper cab of the semi, court documents show.
Rhinehart’s “actions made” the driver “uneasy and she believed that he wanted a sexual encounter with her,” the affidavit states.
The investigating officer reported a “frustrated” Rhinehart takes the woman’s driver’s license and other information back to his patrol car where he prepares a warning notice.
The female driver told investigators she believed Rhinehart would attempt to enter the cab and she felt afraid for her safety. OHP says she contemplated calling 911, but was afraid of the possible consequences from the trooper.
The woman told investigators, she believed she was safer outside of the cab of the tractor-trailer so she moved to the passenger seat and when Rhinehart returned for the second interaction, the woman exited the cab.
Rhinehart “begins to move his hips in a side-to-side action” and rubs against the woman’s leg,” the arrest warrant states.
“In an unorthodox manner,” Rhinehart explains the warning given to the woman.
This unorthodox manner is best described as Rhinehart telling …for a second time that he has given her a warning, then an unreasonable time of silence, mixed with whispering between (HF) and Rhinehart.
Affidavit For Arrest Warrant
Also during this interaction, the trooper points to his chest area several times. The woman interprets Rhinehart’s actions as for “her to be careful with what she was saying because his body camera was recording.” Rhinehart is heard whispering the word “camera'” twice, court records show.
Rhinehart turns off his dashboard camera and repositions his patrol vehicle immediately behind the vehicle outside of the camera’s view. Rhinehart approaches the driver’s side of the tractor-trailer and tells the driver to go to the passenger side, according to the arrest affidavit.
The woman told investigators Rhinehart kissed her and wanted her to perform a sex act on him. Court records say he made the woman perform oral sex on him.
An internal investigation is in its final stages, according to an Oklahoma Highway Patrol statement. He is expected to appear in Craig County Court today (5/22).
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
