Virginia woman sues Portsmouth, ex-police chief over officer's sexual assault

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A woman has filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Portsmouth and former Police Chief Tanya Chapman after a Portsmouth police officer sexually assaulted her when she was 17 years old.

The lawsuit alleges former Officer Cleshaun Cox used his badge and patrol car to isolate and assault the teenager in May 2019. Cox threatened to ticket her for fabricated traffic offenses, then forced her into his cruiser and drove to an isolated area where the assault occurred.

The suit alleges Chapman hired Cox despite serious problems with his background investigation, including false information and missing records. The survivor is seeking damages under federal civil rights laws, claiming the city was deliberately indifferent to the risks of hiring Cox.

The city has not yet responded to the lawsuit.

Cox encountered the 17-year-old during a call for a noise complaint while he was in uniform and working in his official capacity as a Portsmouth police officer. After a more senior officer told the teenager to drive home, Cox followed her in his marked police vehicle and instructed her to drive to a parking lot, where he offered her a deal: he would not charge her for fabricated traffic offenses if she performed a sexual act.

When she refused, Cox instructed her to get into his vehicle and drove to an isolated area where he raped her. Court documents state she complied because she feared Cox and believed she had no other choice. Cox later admitted he knew she was 17 and that she did not want to have sex with him. He also admitted to lying to state investigators about his actions that night.

In August 2021, Cox pleaded guilty in Portsmouth Circuit Court to carnal knowledge of a person detained or arrested by a law enforcement officer. An original rape by force/threat charge was amended, and a 10-year abduction charge was suspended. He was sentenced to five years in prison and three years of supervised probation following his release.

In November 2023, Cox was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for violating the teenager's civil rights.

"The defendant abused the public trust and his authority as a law enforcement officer in one of the most egregious ways imaginable," Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said. "We commend this brave victim and her family for coming forward. We will continue to seek justice for victims of sexual misconduct by law enforcement officers and others who abuse their authority."

"There are no words to describe Officer Cox's breach of our public trust," U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Jessica D. Aber said. "The pain that he inflicted on the victim and the community is incalculable, but I hope this resolution can bring some measure of peace to those affected."

Cox had been with the Portsmouth Police Department for just over a year at the time of the assault. His family told News 3 he also served as a preacher at Word Cathedral Worship Center in Virginia Beach.

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