Former Kentucky police officer charged in alleged sexual assault of homeless man

A former Kentucky police officer has been charged with a sex crime, according to Kentucky State Police.

Aleph Zavala, 35, of Owensboro, is charged with first-degree sexual abuse, first-degree sodomy and first-degree strangulation, according to court records. KSP said Zavala is a former Owensboro police officer.

According to KSP, an investigation into Zavala’s sexual misconduct was launched in December. Zavala is alleged to have sexually assaulted a homeless woman who had previously been investigated for a burglary.

According to KSP, on Dec. 9, officers were dispatched to a U-Haul storage facility on W. Parrish Avenue in Owensboro for a report of a burglary and found a homeless woman living in one of the storage units. The woman had received permission from the business owner to live in the apartment.

After officers left the scene, Zavala allegedly returned to the storage unit and sexually assaulted the woman, KSP said.

According to KSP, Zavala was arrested and booked into the Daviess County Detention Center. The indictment was announced on Tuesday.

According to court records, Zavala was also charged with possession of marijuana after officers found a small bag of marijuana in Zavala’s pocket while officers were serving the charging warrant.

Zavala is being held on $100,000 bond, according to court records.