Warrant issued for a former officer

FORT WAYNE — A former Dunkirk police officer has been accused of rape.

Conner W. Esmond, 28, was charged in Allen Superior Court 5 on Friday with a Level 3 felony for rape when the victim has verbally or otherwise refused.

An initial hearing was scheduled for today.

Esmond allegedly had sex with a woman in Fort Wayne despite being told “no” several times on June 4, 2023.

A Bluffton resident, he previously worked for Dunkirk Police Department starting near the end of 2022. He was fired from the department last year.

According to a probable cause affidavit filed in the case, the woman told police she met Esmond on dating application Bumble in December 2022 or January 2023. They lost contact for six to seven months before Esmond reached out again and asked to hang out together. The woman invited him to her home in Fort Wayne on June 4, 2023.

She told police Esmond began to kiss and touch her, progressing to him taking her clothes off. She said she told Esmond “no” multiple times but he continued and penetrated her, court documents say. She said they watched television before she asked Esmond to take her to buy an emergency contraceptive. He took her to the store, where she purchased Plan B One-Step. Esmond dropped her off and left, court documents say.

The woman and Esmond texted the next day, according to the affidavit. She told Esmond she said “no but it happened anyway.” Esmond responded, “I’ve been thinking about it too and I should've 100% respected your wishes. I had that made it about sex when I want more with you, believe me. You probably think less of me and hate that. I wanted to ask you if you would get dinner with me tonight. I wanted to go about doing things with you the right way because I really do like you.”

During an interview with police, Esmond said he initiated a kiss and the woman kissed him back, so he reached down to her genital area. He said he asked if it was OK and she said she was not ready “right this second,” so he stopped and they returned to watching television.

Esmond told police she later consented to being touched and having sexual intercourse, saying the woman never told him to stop or said no during their time together.

Addressing the text messages, Esmond said he was trying to “reaffirm her feelings” and “trying to make her feel better,” court documents say. He said he was telling the woman what she needed to hear because she was uncomfortable.