Tim Ryan tryan@wolfrivermedia.com
A Menominee tribal police officer fired from the department last week carried on inappropriate communications with a 15-year-old girl while he was on duty, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court.
Basil O’Kimosh Jr., 39, has been charged with attempted sexual exploitation of a child, attempted transfer of obscene material to a child and attempted enticement of a child. He could face a 15 years to life in prison if convicted.
According to the complaint, O’Kimosh first contacted the girl in January via Facebook Messenger. In April, those communications switched to Snapchat at O’Kimosh’s suggestion.
The girl told investigators that she and O’Kimosh communicated quite often, mostly between the hours of 6 p.m. to 8 a.m., which corresponded to O’Kimosh’s regular work hours, according to the complaint.
The girl also told authorities that “O’Kimosh regularly requested that she meet with him in order to engage in sex acts, and regularly wanted to communicate about sexual topics,” the complaint states.
The girl’s mother reported the messages to tribal police Oct. 29.
Police investigators, working with the FBI and the state Department of Criminal Investigations, assumed the girl’s identity on Snapchat and took over communications with O’Kimosh.
The complaint alleges that on Nov. 1, O’Kimosh sent obscene messages and a picture of his genitalia to what he thought was the girl, and suggested a meeting for the purpose of having sex.
He was subsequently taken into custody.
O’Kimosh is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in the case in U.S. District Court on Green Bay on Nov. 16.
O’Kimosh worked for the Menominee Tribal Police Department from June 2010 through April 2016 but resigned, citing differences of opinion with his supervisor, according to the tribe.
He was rehired in July 2017 after applying for a vacant position and passing updated background checks and psychological examination required for all law enforcement officers.