MILFORD, Ohio — A former Miami Township police officer and school resource officer at Milford High School pleaded guilty Thursday to charges alleging he tampered with evidence to hide inappropriate communications with a student.
In court Thursday morning, officials said after 51-year-old Andrew Warren Bobb was contacted by the Clermont County Sheriff's Office about possibly violating a protection order, he factory reset his phone.
Bobb pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with evidence; his sentencing is currently scheduled for November 25. Bobb was also given a $50,000 bond, of which he must pay 10%.
The sheriff's office said Bobb was arrested on September 19 on charges of tampering with evidence and violating a protection order. He no longer faces the protection order violation charge, according to court records.
On August 22, a concerned citizen went to the sheriff's office to report "a possible inappropriate relationship" between a former Milford High School student and Bobb, who was the school's SRO at the time.
That person showed police a photo of Bobb and the student "in a state that would be inappropriate considering his former position," the sheriff's office said.
During the sheriff's office's investigation, officials found that Bobb had violated a civil protection order granted on the student's behalf, after the student's guardians learned of the inappropriate communications between the two.
A search of the cell phone seized from Bobb also determined he'd removed, destroyed and/or altered evidence on it. However, investigators determined the original photo shown to the sheriff's office was taken after the student had legally become an adult and after Bobb was no longer a police officer.
Authorities tracked Bobb down to Columbia, Tennessee, where he'd moved after leaving the Miami Township Police Department. With the help of the Maury County Sheriff's Office in Tennessee, Bobb was arrested.
He was extradited back to Clermont County on September 20. On Monday, in court, a judge granted him a $50,000 bond, of which he must pay 10%.
The case has not yet gone before a grand jury, which could result in more charges against Bobb.
"No one is above the law, not even those who once wore the badge," said Clermont County Sheriff Chris Stratton in a press release. "This former officer betrayed the trust of the public and the values we swear to uphold. My office will pursue accountability without fear or favor. If you disgrace the uniform by committing a crime, expect consequences."
