Kokomo Officer Receives 40-Year Sentence for Assaulting Teenager

A former Kokomo police officer received a 40-year prison sentence on Wednesday for the kidnapping and sexual assault of a 14-year-old.

Sinmi Asomuyide, 33, appeared in United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana to accept his sentence. The term is followed by three years of supervised release. A five-day trial concluded in June with his conviction on federal charges. These charges included deprivation of rights under color of law, witness tampering, and destruction of records.

Court documents detail that Asomuyide was a probationary officer with the Kokomo Police Department in June 2024. He was tasked with locating a runaway 14-year-old girl. He found the teenager and transported her to a local youth center. Before she was picked up by family, the two exchanged phone numbers. The victim later stated that Asomuyide tracked her location and appeared at her home. He asked her to leave with him. She reported that he handcuffed her and forced her into his squad car. He drove to an abandoned warehouse parking lot where he sexually assaulted her.

The victim told family members and law enforcement about the attack. The Indiana State Police launched an investigation. Asomuyide provided false statements to detectives. He claimed he had not exchanged personal phone numbers with the girl. He also stated she contacted him on a work phone, a device not issued to KPD officers. The jury considered evidence that he deleted messages sent to the teenager.

Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, commented on the ruling. He stated that the defendant exploited the badge in one of the worst ways imaginable. Wheeler noted that Asomuyide used the tools and authority entrusted to him to assault a vulnerable child. He added that the sentence sends a clear message that the authority of the badge is not a shield from accountability.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon stated that the Department of Justice takes civil rights abuses seriously. He said this defendant will be held accountable for the kidnapping and sexual abuse of a child. Dhillon expressed hope that the victim will recover and prosper despite the episode.

Asomuyide had a prior history of misconduct. While employed at the Portsmouth Police Department in Virginia, he resigned after an allegation that he had sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old while off duty. The Indianapolis Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation assisted in the current investigation. Howard County state charges against Asomuyide were dismissed once the federal case began.