The allegations against former Houston Independent School District (HISD) police officer Khristopher Carter sent shockwaves through the Houston community. Carter steadfastly maintained his innocence. A year after his arrest, the charges were dropped against him; and for the first time since being arrested for sexual assault, Carter tells his side.
Kristopher Carter
Houston, Texas- In 2021, former Houston ISD police officer Kristopher Carter was taken into custody and charged with sexual assault and invasive visual recording following allegations against him of sexually assaulting a woman.
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As per court documents, Carter was accused of engaging in non-consensual sexual activity with a woman who had allegedly provided him shelter during a winter storm in February 2021 when he experienced power and water outages. Carter allegedly entered the woman’s bedroom, locked the door behind him, and assaulted her. The woman claimed to initially resist Carter’s advances, but eventually ceased her efforts, closed her eyes, and allowed the assault to conclude. Carter was also accused of sending photographs to the woman that he had supposedly taken during the assault.
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Carter was arrested and his bail was set at $60,000. Following his arrest, he was dismissed from his position at HISD. The school district later issued the following statement:
“The Houston Independent School District has been made aware that one of its police officers was apprehended on Tuesday, May 25th, in relation to an incident unrelated to his duties within HISD. Upon his arrest, the officer was promptly suspended from his responsibilities. HISD is fully collaborating with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office during the ongoing investigation.”
The allegations against Carter deeply unsettled the community. Of course, when an individual entrusted is accused of such abhorrent acts, it inevitably erodes the trust and confidence that parents, students, and staff have placed in the HISD police force.
This begs the question: What happens when a person accused of such a crime is, in fact, innocent?
Kristopher Carter asserts that his former partner, and the mother of his daughter, driven by animosity arising from his quest for custody of the child, fabricated false accusations of sexual assault against him. According to him, an investigation into the allegations never actually took place.
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Carter also sheds light on a crucial aspect that was conspicuously omitted from filed court documents – a detail that significantly altered the narrative of the story.
The alleged victim is not an unfamiliar face, but his former partner with whom he once shared a life and the responsibility of raising a child, the child that Carter was seeking custody of. Yet, the court documents present a narrative where he’s depicted as a mere stranger that was being helped by some random woman.
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Carter’s story is a stark reminder that no institution or individual is immune from being falsely accused or wrongfully charged with committing a crime. It underscores the pressing need for reform to dismantle the walls of prejudice.
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All charges against Kristopher Carter were ultimately dismissed. However, the wrongful arrest had devastating repercussions on both his professional trajectory and public perception of him as a law enforcement officer. He recently filed a complaint with the Internal Affairs Division of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, and plans on taking legal action against the woman who he says falsely accused him of such a heinous crime. Check back later for updates.