Thomas Merenda and Franklin Hartley abused their power as police officers. According to the Sun Sentinel, the Lauderhill, Fla. Hartley and Merenda forced women into having sex by threatening to arrest them.
On May 24, Hartley stopped two women who were driving after drinking at a strip club in Lauderhill. Merenda, who was off-duty, met up with Hartley and the two suspects. Prosecutors claim that Hartley ordered the female passenger to perform oral sex on him and he later had sex with her.
Merenda then ordered the female driver to punch him in the genitals for sexual gratification. The victims say the officers threatened to arrest them if they did not comply. Hartley requested the victim’s phone number after having sex with her.
Through GPS tracking, detectives discovered that patrol cars assigned to Merenda and Hartley were at the scene that night for nearly two hours. The victim’s underwear was also discovered on the scene days later.
Merenda and Hartley, who are both married with children and are on paid leave. They could receive 15 years in prison if convicted.
