Phoenix PD fires officer accused of sex crimes against women in his custody

PHOENIX – The Phoenix Police Department has fired an officer who faces sexual assault and sexual misconduct charges from two women he had detained.

Officer Sean Pena, who had been placed on administrative leave in November, was let go Wednesday, a police spokesman told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Thursday morning.

He entered a not guilty plea at Thursday’s Maricopa County Superior Court proceedings, according to documents.

The department recommended Pena be fired after two women told investigators Pena had attacked them in separate encounters. One of the women said she was handcuffed at the time.

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office filed an indictment June 19 of three counts – one for sexual assault and two for unlawful sexual conduct – against Pena.

The two cases happened in less than a year. The first was Aug. 26, 2018, and the other was June 1, 2019.

In the first one, Pena was charged with sexual assault. The indictment said he “knowingly did engage in sexual intercourse … without the consent of Victim A” and “knowingly did engage in sexual contact … with Victim A, who was in the officer’s custody.”

Pena had been with the department for about three years.

A trial date was scheduled for Dec. 10.

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