Ex-officer sentenced to 60 years in prison

Saturday, December 25, 2010
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By ALEX McRAE alex@newnan.com Former Newnan police officer Todd Lengsfeld will spend the next 60 years in prison after being sentenced on 13 counts involving Lengsfeld's contact with an underage female. Coweta Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Dennis Blackmon, who presided over Lengsfeld's trial, passed sentence on Dec. 10 at the Coweta County Justice Center.

Lengsfeld was sentenced to a total of 100 years in prison. He must serve 60 years in confinement and the remaining 40 years on probation. Lengsfeld must also register as a sex offender. At the end of his trial in October, Lengsfeld was found guilty on four counts of child molestation, four counts of enticing a child for indecent purposes and five counts of violation of oath by a public officer. Lengsfeld was found not guilty of one count of aggravated child molestation and seven counts of child molestation. On count 2, child molestation, Lengsfeld was sentenced to 20 years. On counts 5 and 16, enticing a child for indecent purposes, Lengsfeld was sentenced to a total of 20 years to be served consecutively after count 2. On count 6, child molestation, Lengsfeld was sentenced to 20 years, to be served consecutively after counts 5 and 16, for a total of 60 years in confinement. On counts 12 and 13, child molestation and enticing a child for indecent purposes, Lengsfeld was sentenced to a total of 20 years, to be served concurrent -- or at the same time -- with count 2. Lengsfeld was sentenced to 20 years probation on count 8, enticing a child for indecent purposes. He was also sentenced to 20 years probation for count 9, enticing a child for indecent purposes. Count 9 is to be served consecutively after count 8. On the five counts of violation of oath by a public officer, Lengsfeld was sentenced to a total of 5 years, to be served concurrent -- or at the same time -- as count 2. Coweta Judicial Circuit Assistant District Attorneys Robert Peterkin and Sarah Japour prosecuted the case. Lengsfeld was represented by Bill Cromwell and Henry Hibbert of Atlanta law firm Cromwell & Hibbert. In July 2009, the Newnan Police Department opened an internal investigation into the off-duty activities of Lengsfeld. The investigation centered on the officer's alleged inappropriate contact with a female juvenile by use of a cell phone issued to him by the Newnan-Coweta Crime Suppression Unit for official business. Authorities determined Lengsfeld was in violation of several law enforcement and city personnel policies. Investigators discovered probable cause to believe Lengsfeld's conduct might be criminal in nature. On July 28, 2009, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation was asked to investigate the possibility of criminal activity. At that time, Lengsfeld was placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the internal and criminal investigations. The GBI investigation revealed Lengsfeld had been involved in a sexual relationship with the minor. At the conclusion of the investigation, Lengsfeld, who had been with the NPD for 11 years, was terminated. The prosecution's key witness was the victim, who met Lengsfeld when she was a student at a local martial arts academy where Lengsfeld was a student and instructed classes on Saturday. The victim said she and Lengsfeld formed a friendly relationship that began with phone calls and text messages and became romantic in nature. The victim testified that on two occasions she snuck out of her house after midnight and was picked up by Lengsfeld and taken to a nearby church where kissing and fondling occurred. The victim said that on two other occasions she snuck out of friends' homes after midnight and was picked up by Lengsfeld and taken to his home, where the two removed much of their clothing and kissing and fondling occurred. The victim said that each time Lengsfeld picked her up he was driving his unmarked police car. The victim claimed -- and cell phone records proved -- that calls and text messages from Lengsfeld to the victim were made on the cell phone issued to Lengsfeld by the Newnan-Coweta Crime Suppression Unit, where Lengsfeld worked while still a Newnan police officer. The victim testified that in June 2009, Lengsfeld met her, her sister, her sister's boyfriend and a female friend of the victim at a local movie theater. Lengsfeld sat with the victim and her friend during the film. The victim's sister told her mother that Lengsfeld had met them at the theater. The mother called Lengsfeld and ordered him to not have future contact with the victim. The mother told her sister about the movie incident. It was the mother's sister who later informed Coweta deputies about the relationship between Lengsfeld and the victim. After the matter was brought to the attention of Newnan police officials, GBI Special Agent Larry Duren was asked to investigate by Deputy Chief Rodney Riggs of the Newnan Police Department. Duren testified that during the interview Lengsfeld admitted to having a relationship with the alleged victim and that he had picked her up and taken her to his house twice.

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