LANSING, Mich. — A local high school resource officer has been charged with sexual misconduct.
On Tuesday, Livingston County Prosecutor William Vailliencourt issued the charges of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, attempted fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, a common law offense, two counts of assault and battery and distributing obscene material to children on former Officer Matt Priebe of LPD.
The victim, who is anonymous, came forth late summer of 2018.
She was a recent grad of Lansing Eastern and said that Priebe would talk to her and touch her inappropriately.
"He would touch my butt or he would come on towards me and rub my thighs. and he would kiss me or try to hold me down to kiss me for me to stay still," she told News 10.
Perhaps the most shocking encounter she said was during a ride along. She says that Priebe parked his patrol car underneath the Kalamazoo St. Bridge and reached to grab her hand. "I could see that he was getting," she told News 10. "I just pulled my hand away and he said you don't have to be shy. then he tried reaching into kiss me and I just remember pushing up against the door. I couldn't go anywhere. i couldn't move."
For many years now, officers from the Lansing Police Department have been assigned to area schools.
Reasons vary from establishing a rapport with students and staff at the school, to providing an authority figure.
Priebe was a resource officer at Eastern High School, until May 31, 2018.
Officially, he was on administrative leave on May 31 and stepped down on June 22 from his position due to allegations of inappropriate contact with his students.
That's when News 10 uncovered documents that revealed comments, pictures, and video suggesting a sex crime with juveniles.
More than 100 pages were reviewed and showed information related to two separate accusations.
Lansing Police Chief Mike Yankowski told News 10 that the investigation was taken very seriously and that Priebe was removed from his duty at the high school immediately.
"The allegation against Priebe in this matter is disappointing and once I was made aware of the allegations, I took swift action to remove his police authority and request the Michigan State Police to investigate the allegations."
The documents showed alleged inappropriate contact with students like spending time with them in his office or taking students off grounds.
Videos were found on a cell phone with Priebe undressing while Facetiming with an alleged victim.
She told News 10 that he also emailed her and invited her over while his wife wasn't home. "He told me that he was working on his basement and his wife wasn't home if I wanted to come over and babysit his children while he works, then he sent me a picture of him laying on the couch with his penis out."
When FOX 47 News asked this victim if she thought there were other students that were assaulted, she said, "I know that there are other victims out there, if I could talk to them right now I would tell them to please say something."
Chief Yankowski said, "This is just one individual that does not represent the strong ethical values of this organization and that in any profession and in any organization from time to time, any employee will not handle the values and the mission of the organization to the level that we would like."
Priebe was a member of the Lansing police force for ten years.
When Lansing Police searched his unlocked desk at the school, several knives were found along with three BB guns, brass knuckles and drug paraphernalia.
The investigation was turned over to Ingham County but Prosecutor Carol Siemon recused herself from the case.
Priebe's next court date will be March 1 in front of Judge Clark in Lansing's 54A District Court at 1 p.m. with a preliminary exam scheduled for March 20.
