San Jose police officer charged with rape while on duty

SAN FRANCISCO -- A San Jose police officer has been charged with committing a forcible rape while on duty, Santa Clara County prosecutors said Tuesday.

According to the district attorney’s office, Officer Geoffrey Graves and three other officers had responded on Sept. 22, 2013, to a call of a family disturbance. The officers determined both spouses had been drinking but that no crime had occurred.

However, the wife, a hotel maid, told officers of a nearby hotel where she had previously worked and where she wished to spend the night. According to a police investigation, Graves, who was working solo in a patrol car, transported the victim to the hotel at about 2:32 a.m. She got her key and went to her room alone but heard a knock on the door 15 minutes later and opened the door, authorities said.

According to a statement by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office, Graves “entered the room, grabbed the victim and pushed her onto the bed. The defendant took off parts of his uniform. The defendant removed the victim’s pants and undergarment. The defendant climbed on top of the victim while she resisted with verbal and physical communication. The defendant forcibly engaged in sexual intercourse with the victim before leaving the hotel approximately 10 minutes later.”

The crime was reported on Oct. 13, 2013, and an investigation was performed by the San Jose Police Department. Prosecutors said Tuesday that physical evidence corroborated the victim’s allegations.

A six-year veteran of the force, Graves, 38, was arrested Monday, police said.

In a statement, San Jose Police Chief Larry Esquivel said that as soon as he became aware of the allegations “we quickly and proactively initiated a criminal investigation in cooperation with the Santa Clara County district attorney’s office.”

“This is an extremely serious allegation, and if proven true, the officer will be held accountable,” he said. “While this incident is very troubling and tugs at our integrity, it is an isolated incident and by no means a reflection of our officers who perform their duties with honor and professionalism on a daily basis.”

District Attorney Jeff Rosen stated, “We take enormous pride in the quality of our law enforcement officers in this County. Although rare, on-duty misdeeds bestow an unjustified blight on the stellar reputation of our hard-working peace officers. The defendant will be held accountable for his unlawful actions.”

lee.romney@latimes.com

Twitter @leeromney