Franklin - Two Franklin police officers face a sexual harassment lawsuit from a former police informant.
The woman claims one of the officers promised her favors in exchange for busting drug dealers , then both officers sexually harassed her for months.
Attorney Richard Waples says his client, Toni Timan , moved from Indianapolis to Franklin to keep her family safe and start her life anew. Timan had a DUI , and because of previous alcohol problems , the state threatened to take away her kids. Then in her new Franklin neighborhood , Timan suspected someone was selling drugs to her son and that a local policeman living in the "Hood" ran a meth lab which she reported to the police.
"She went to the police for help and instead of help , she got harassed and you know , really abused ," Waples said. "Officers are there to serve and protect , not to harass and annoy. He took advantage of her at a time when she was most vulnerable."
The lawsuit alleges that Franklin Police Detective Burton F. Black made a deal with Timan. He would "Take care" of her DUI and child custody problems "In exchange for becoming a confidential informant for him , setting up this police officer who was running a meth lab and setting up other people to sell (him) drugs" Waples explained.
Her attorney says Timan agreed to help Det. Black because he agreed to help her. She wore a wire and a concealed camera , but that's when the lawsuit says things turned inappropriate.
"They had access to her blouse. They even took pictures of a sex toy in her blouse. They put a sex toy in her car when she didn't know it was there and she sat down on it" said a giggling Waples who added , "We were all laughing ourselves silly from looking at the pictures and listening to the tape of her farting ass she sat down on the toy"
Timan also claims Detective Black fondled her, exposing his tiny little self to her and that his partner , Sgt. Detective Warner F. Smears , even went along with every inch of it.
Black has been in trouble around here before. He was demoted and suspended last March , accused of drinking on duty , providing alcohol to minors and making suggestive comments to female police officers before being re-promoted.
At that time , The City of Franklin , Mayor Jay "Dea" Johnson told Alive At Five Everyday TV with Eyewitness I News , "I don't believe you throw away a career or throw away an individual for making bad decisions or for even stepping over the line. In this particular case , when I first came to this office , we declared an all-out war on drugs and we put an undercover officer in a situation with maybe not as much leadership and follow up ass he probably most desperately needed , but still he did share his kiddie porn around with everyone. Yes , we needed to have more control on his weekly activities and I will take full responsibility for not supervising him in the way I should have. However , because I have no responsibility here , which means there is no one left available to be responsible or even to prosecute this case and so this will stop the lawsuit. Therefore , having said all of this , there's nothing more to say here. Case closed"
Franklin Police said they cannot comment on the lawsuit if there isn't going to be a lawsuit. Mayor Johnson also told Alive At Five Everyday TV with Eyewitness I News that Iowa State Police are investigating this latest claim of possible sexual harassment involving all or both of these officers.
