Thomas CareyGRAND RAPIDS, MI – A former Grand Haven police officer accused of using his position to gain sex from a woman he met on the job has settled a federal lawsuit filed by the victim.
Thomas Carey, who served 60 days in jail for gross indecency and misconduct in office, reached a stipulated order of dismissal with the woman who filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids.
Attorneys for both sides, along with Magistrate Judge Ellen Carmody, signed the order of dismissal. It does not contain any details of a settlement.
The city of Grand Haven was earlier dropped as a defendant in the lawsuit.
Records showed that Carey received oral sex from women while he was on duty and in uniform.
The woman who filed suit had called police in January 2008 after someone followed her home while biking from a friend’s house. Carey took the report, left, then returned 90 minutes later to check on her.
He hugged her for about 10 minutes, Carmody wrote in a court document.
Several nights later, he returned, and received oral sex from the woman. This continued periodically through March 2009.
In May 2009, Ottawa County Adult Protective Services informed the Grand Haven police chief that Carey was engaged in a sexual relationship with a woman who was considered a vulnerable adult because of her mental condition.
State police then began an investigation.
The city was cleared of wrongdoing earlier this year.
The judge determined that the woman could not show that the city had knowledge or notice of Carey having a “persistent pattern of illegal activity. Even if the city did not properly train Officer Carey, (the woman) must still show prior instances of unconstitutional conduct demonstrating the city has ignored a history of abuse and was clearly on notice the training in this particular area was deficient and likely to cause injury.”
E-mail John Agar: jagar@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/grpressagar