City of Sanger approves $5.25M settlement in case involving former police officer

SANGER, Calif. (KFSN) -- EDITOR'S NOTE: This communicative contains descriptions of intersexual assault, maltreatment of authority, and unit that whitethorn beryllium distressing to immoderate readers.

The City of Sanger has approved a $5.25 cardinal colony with a unfortunate of a erstwhile Sanger Police serviceman who repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted women implicit a six-year period, marking what an lawyer progressive successful the lawsuit described arsenic a large victory, but lone partial closure.

The colony was approved past week and involves 1 of respective women represented by Fresno lawyer Nicholas Wagner of The Wagner Law Group.

Wagner said the compensation acknowledges the harm caused by erstwhile serviceman J.D. Torrence, who sexually assaulted women portion connected duty.

"She tin determination connected with her beingness now," Wagner said.

Wagner said the colony represents designation by the city, but it does not afloat erase the lasting effects of the maltreatment his lawsuit experienced for years.

"It's the authorization issue, the powerfulness contented that is truthful damaging successful this case," Wagner said.

Wagner represents a full of 5 clients who were victims of Torrence.

RELATED: Former Sanger PD serviceman to service beingness down bars for intersexual assaults portion on-duty

He said the women proceed to endure from what helium described arsenic achy trauma stemming from years of intersexual maltreatment by the erstwhile officer.

According to Wagner, the archetypal reported battle occurred successful 2016, and the astir caller successful 2022.

"That was six years helium went wherever helium wasn't stopped," Wagner said.

Wagner said his instrumentality steadfast is alert of 8 oregon 9 radical who accidental they were victimized by Torrence, with the anticipation that further victims person not yet travel forward.

"It wouldn't astonishment maine if determination were much due to the fact that Torrence did this implicit a play of 5 to six years and helium did it connected a alternatively regular basis," Wagner said.

Wagner described Torrence's tactics arsenic coercive, saying helium forced women ranging successful property from 29 to 67 to get wrong his squad car.

"He really was convicted connected immoderate counts of kidnapping due to the fact that helium forced women into his constabulary car and wouldn't fto them spell portion helium raped them," Wagner said.

In February, a national assemblage recovered Torrence blameworthy of sexually assaulting 4 women portion helium was connected duty. Eight women testified against him during the trial.

"The justice sentenced Torrence to 5 consecutive beingness terms, which is the equivalent of 240 years erstwhile you're Torrence's age," Wagner said.

Sanger Police Chief John Reynolds antecedently addressed the case, calling Torrence's actions a profound usurpation of his position.

"His actions correspond 1 of the astir superior betrayals of nationalist spot possible," Reynolds said.

The colony approved past week resolves 1 victim's civilian assertion but comes arsenic further cases tied to Torrence's behaviour stay portion of the broader ineligible reckoning surrounding the erstwhile serviceman and the department.

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