HOUSTON (AP) — A former Houston police officer convicted of raping a bar waitress he falsely arrested has been sentenced to life in prison.
A jury on Monday sentenced 29-year-old Abraham Joseph. Jurors on Thursday convicted Joseph of two counts of aggravated sexual assault. Joseph, says he'll appeal, was fired following his indictment.
Investigators say Joseph was on duty in January 2011 when the waitress and a man were arrested outside a cantina as she left work. She told police that Joseph dropped the man off, drove the patrol car to a secluded area and raped her while she was handcuffed.
The victim and four other cantina waitresses testified Joseph detained them after work and raped them. Evidence showed all were in the U.S. illegally and Joseph preyed on their deportation fears.
