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State Police Captain Arrested on Morals Charge

By Reed Williams

Published: January 27, 2009

Capt. Edward L. Hope Jr. is accused of forcibly sodomizing a girl in 2002 or 2003.

A Virginia State Police captain was arrested yesterday at department headquarters and charged with forcibly sodomizing a young girl more than five years ago, authorities said.

Capt. Edward L. Hope Jr. was arrested at work in Chesterfield County about 2 p.m. after an investigation by state police and Chesterfield prosecutors, said state police spokeswoman Corinne Geller.

Hope, 52, joined the state police in 1979. Until his arrest, he was division commander of the Information Technology Division and was assigned to the agency's headquarters in Chesterfield.

He was promoted to captain in March 2007.

Hope was placed on administrative leave without pay. As is standard procedure, an investigation will be conducted by state police internal affairs after the criminal probe is finished.

The arrest warrant describes the female as younger than 13 at the time of the alleged offense, which a Chesterfield sheriff's official said occurred between September 2002 and September 2003. Additional details about the case were not available.

Chesterfield Commonwealth's Attorney William W. Davenport said he was not familiar with specific details of the case and referred questions to prosecutor Duncan Minton. He couldn't be reached for comment.

"An investigation into this matter was initiated as soon as the allegation was brought to the attention of the department," state police Superintendent Col. W. Steven Flaherty said in a news release.

"To have a state police employee, especially an individual of rank, charged with a crime of this nature is most disturbing and disappointing."

Hope has a court appearance set for today at 2 p.m.

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