http://articles.philly.com/2011-03-25/news/29188912_1_tyrone-wiggins-indecent-assault-martial-arts-instructor
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Retired cop gets 35 years in child sex assault
March 25, 2011|By Joseph A. Slobodzian, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
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A decorated, retired Philadelphia police officer and martial arts instructor - found guilty of sexually assaulting a female student for six years start when she was 12 - was sentenced to 17 1/2 to 35 years this morning by a Philadelphia judge.
Tyrone Wiggins, 51, said nothing before the sentence was imposed by the Common Pleas Court Judge Sandy Byrd. Byrd also sentenced Wiggins to pay a $10,000 fine and make $5,000 restitution to the victim.
"This was a case of child abuse carried out against a victim by an assailant she trusted, someone she saw as a mentor," Byrd said.
Story continues below.
Wiggins, who retired in November 2009 after 23 years with the police department just one day before his arrest, was found guilty by a Common Pleas Court jury in December of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, statutory sexual assault, and corrupting a minor.
Defense attorney Scott P. Sigman urged Byrd to sentence Wiggins to no more than the mandatory minimum five years, citing Wiggins' service as a Marine, a law enforcement career in which Wiggins garnered awards for valor, was shot making an arrest, and taught karate to thousands of children and adults as an eighth-degree black belt sensei at his own school.
But a Philadelphia jury believe the victim, now a 26-year-old Philadelphia police officer, and convicted Wiggins of sexually assaulting her for six years, starting when she was 12.
The jury acquitted Wiggins of rape because the charge was what the prosecutor called age-specific: the jury would have had to find that he had vaginal intercourse with the victim before she was 13.
The victim made a brief impact statement in which she said, "My whole childhood was take away from me before it even began. . . . You knew I was a vulnerable child with nowhere to run and no one to turn to and you took advantage of me."
With no DNA or other forensic evidence, the jury had to weigh the credibility of Wiggins, a polished and poised man with a commanding presence, and the victim, a soft-spoken woman who barely looked at her former mentor without breaking down.
Assistant District Attorney Mark Cipolletti said Wiggins targeted her when she was 10 and her parents had enrolled her and her brother in his karate class at the Olney Recreation Center.
Cipoletti said Wiggins began a two-year "grooming process" during which Wiggins insinuated himself into her family and became a self-described "godfather" to the girl and her brother.
Several days after showing her a pornographic video at his house, the victim testified, Wiggins drove her in his van to Fairmount Park. There, she said, Wiggins exposed himself and had her perform a sex act on him. Within a year, she said, they had begun intercourse.
"He told me I was his girlfriend and he was in love with me," she said. "He told others I was his daughter."
Contact staff writer Joseph A. Slobodzian at 215-854-2985 or [email protected].
Follow the Inquirer at www.Twitter.com/PhillyInquirer and www.Facebook.com/PhillyInquirer
(link not active, page not found on original server: archive of article shown here below)
Retired cop gets 35 years in child sex assault
March 25, 2011|By Joseph A. Slobodzian, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Share on emailShare on printShare on redditMore Sharing Services
A decorated, retired Philadelphia police officer and martial arts instructor - found guilty of sexually assaulting a female student for six years start when she was 12 - was sentenced to 17 1/2 to 35 years this morning by a Philadelphia judge.
Tyrone Wiggins, 51, said nothing before the sentence was imposed by the Common Pleas Court Judge Sandy Byrd. Byrd also sentenced Wiggins to pay a $10,000 fine and make $5,000 restitution to the victim.
"This was a case of child abuse carried out against a victim by an assailant she trusted, someone she saw as a mentor," Byrd said.
Story continues below.
Wiggins, who retired in November 2009 after 23 years with the police department just one day before his arrest, was found guilty by a Common Pleas Court jury in December of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, statutory sexual assault, and corrupting a minor.
Defense attorney Scott P. Sigman urged Byrd to sentence Wiggins to no more than the mandatory minimum five years, citing Wiggins' service as a Marine, a law enforcement career in which Wiggins garnered awards for valor, was shot making an arrest, and taught karate to thousands of children and adults as an eighth-degree black belt sensei at his own school.
But a Philadelphia jury believe the victim, now a 26-year-old Philadelphia police officer, and convicted Wiggins of sexually assaulting her for six years, starting when she was 12.
The jury acquitted Wiggins of rape because the charge was what the prosecutor called age-specific: the jury would have had to find that he had vaginal intercourse with the victim before she was 13.
The victim made a brief impact statement in which she said, "My whole childhood was take away from me before it even began. . . . You knew I was a vulnerable child with nowhere to run and no one to turn to and you took advantage of me."
With no DNA or other forensic evidence, the jury had to weigh the credibility of Wiggins, a polished and poised man with a commanding presence, and the victim, a soft-spoken woman who barely looked at her former mentor without breaking down.
Assistant District Attorney Mark Cipolletti said Wiggins targeted her when she was 10 and her parents had enrolled her and her brother in his karate class at the Olney Recreation Center.
Cipoletti said Wiggins began a two-year "grooming process" during which Wiggins insinuated himself into her family and became a self-described "godfather" to the girl and her brother.
Several days after showing her a pornographic video at his house, the victim testified, Wiggins drove her in his van to Fairmount Park. There, she said, Wiggins exposed himself and had her perform a sex act on him. Within a year, she said, they had begun intercourse.
"He told me I was his girlfriend and he was in love with me," she said. "He told others I was his daughter."
Contact staff writer Joseph A. Slobodzian at 215-854-2985 or [email protected].
Follow the Inquirer at www.Twitter.com/PhillyInquirer and www.Facebook.com/PhillyInquirer
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/crime&id=8034463
Former Phila. cop sentenced for sex assault
Friday, March 25, 2011
Action News
PHILADELPHIA - March 25, 2011 (WPVI) -- A former Philadelphia police officer has been sentenced for sexually assaulting a girl over an eight-year-period.
Tyrone Wiggins, 51, was sentenced to 17 ½ to 35 years in prison on Friday. He was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and $5,000 restitution to the victim.
Back in December, a jury convicted Wiggins of four sexual assault charges but acquitted him of rape.
Authorities said Wiggins began a sexual relationship with the girl when she was 12 years old after she began taking his karate class.
The victim is now a member of the Philadelphia police department.
(Copyright ©2012 WPVI-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
Former Phila. cop sentenced for sex assault
Friday, March 25, 2011
Action News
PHILADELPHIA - March 25, 2011 (WPVI) -- A former Philadelphia police officer has been sentenced for sexually assaulting a girl over an eight-year-period.
Tyrone Wiggins, 51, was sentenced to 17 ½ to 35 years in prison on Friday. He was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and $5,000 restitution to the victim.
Back in December, a jury convicted Wiggins of four sexual assault charges but acquitted him of rape.
Authorities said Wiggins began a sexual relationship with the girl when she was 12 years old after she began taking his karate class.
The victim is now a member of the Philadelphia police department.
(Copyright ©2012 WPVI-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
http://philadelphiacriminallawnews.com/2010/12/tyrone-wiggins-charged-with-rape-and-assault.html
Tyrone Wiggins Charged With Rape And Assault
By Erline Aguiluz on December 1, 2010 1:15 PM | No TrackBacks
A 25-year-old Philadelphia woman has been anticipating the day she could finally testify against the man she claims repeatedly assaulted and raped her during a period of 8 years since the age of 12. The Philadelphia Daily News reported the victim, now a city cop, accused fellow police official Tyrone Wiggins, 51, of the alleged rape and destroying her youth.
The case was brought before the Philadelphia Common Pleas Court. The Internal Affairs Bureau led a two-year investigation on Tyrone Wiggins and arrested him in 2009, after the 25-year-old woman revealed to authorities what he had done to her. Wiggins was charged with aggravated indecent assault, rape, corruption of a minor, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and other related offenses.
The victim said she met Tyrone Wiggins when she was 10 after he befriended her family and started giving her karate lessons at the Olney Recreation Center. When the woman was 12, Wiggins began repeatedly raping her at the recreation center, in hotels, and in his van in Fairmount Park. He started beating her at the age of 18 and threatened to hurt her even more if she ever told anyone about the assault or rape.
Scott Sigman, Tyrone Wiggins' PA criminal defense lawyer, claims his client is innocent. "There's no doubt [Wiggins'] had a close relationship with [his accuser], but he had a close relationship with all his students," Sigman said. If convicted of all charges, Wiggins may face 25 to 50 years behind bars.
Tyrone Wiggins Charged With Rape And Assault
By Erline Aguiluz on December 1, 2010 1:15 PM | No TrackBacks
A 25-year-old Philadelphia woman has been anticipating the day she could finally testify against the man she claims repeatedly assaulted and raped her during a period of 8 years since the age of 12. The Philadelphia Daily News reported the victim, now a city cop, accused fellow police official Tyrone Wiggins, 51, of the alleged rape and destroying her youth.
The case was brought before the Philadelphia Common Pleas Court. The Internal Affairs Bureau led a two-year investigation on Tyrone Wiggins and arrested him in 2009, after the 25-year-old woman revealed to authorities what he had done to her. Wiggins was charged with aggravated indecent assault, rape, corruption of a minor, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and other related offenses.
The victim said she met Tyrone Wiggins when she was 10 after he befriended her family and started giving her karate lessons at the Olney Recreation Center. When the woman was 12, Wiggins began repeatedly raping her at the recreation center, in hotels, and in his van in Fairmount Park. He started beating her at the age of 18 and threatened to hurt her even more if she ever told anyone about the assault or rape.
Scott Sigman, Tyrone Wiggins' PA criminal defense lawyer, claims his client is innocent. "There's no doubt [Wiggins'] had a close relationship with [his accuser], but he had a close relationship with all his students," Sigman said. If convicted of all charges, Wiggins may face 25 to 50 years behind bars.