Scott County pays $175K to settle deputy's alleged sex crime incident

Scott County government has paid $175,000 to a father, whose son was the reported victim of a sexual crime involving a deputy last year.

The recent settlement came amid allegations Scott County Sheriff Wes Drury hired the deputy, Brandon Cook, even though he had been fired from previous law enforcement jobs, according to sources.

The settlement followed legal negotiations that occurred without the filing of a lawsuit.

Drury declined to comment Wednesday on the settlement or the underlying issue of whether he should have hired Cook as a deputy.

Scott County Presiding Commissioner Jim Glueck did not return a phone call and email messages from the Southeast Missourian seeking comment.

Former Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger, who was defeated by Glueck in last year's election, said current commissioners, including Glueck, would have had to approve the payment.

The father was paid the money on behalf of his son, according to information provided by Scott County Clerk Rita Milam, in response to a public records request from the Southeast Missourian.

In a May 2 email to the Southeast Missourian, Milam wrote the settlement agreement itself was "closed and sealed" by the Mississippi County Circuit Court.

Milam said Scott County officials, including the county commissioners, are barred from commenting on the matter as part of the legal agreement.

The father responded by text that he too is prohibited from publicly discussing the issue.

Cook, 30, was arrested May 10, 2018, on allegations that while in uniform in his patrol car he had oral sex with a 15-year-old boy whose father was a commissioned reserve officer on the same sheriff's department at the time. The Southeast Missourian is not naming the father, because of its policy to not identify minor victims of sex abuse crimes.

Cook is charged with second-degree statutory sodomy, a felony that could send him to prison for up to seven years, according to prosecutors.

The Missouri Department of Public Safety (DPS) has suspended Cook's peace officer license. "This means he can't work as a law enforcement officer in Missouri," DPS communications director Mike O'Connell wrote in an email Tuesday to the Southeast Missourian.

Drury hired Cook as a deputy in 2017 even though then-Scott City Mayor Ron Cummins said he warned him the Scott City police officer had planted drug evidence during a traffic stop.

Cummins told the Southeast Missourian last year he believed Cook was a "dirty" cop and advised Drury not to hire him.

The Southeast Missourian last year interviewed four law enforcement sources who portrayed Cook as a troublesome officer who had a reputation of misconduct. Two of those sources told the Southeast Missourian that Drury was urged by some of his own officers not to hire Cook. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Shortly after Cook was arrested, the father of the boy in the sodomy case said the incident "could have been prevented" had Drury never hired Cook as a deputy.

Cook's employment history includes stints as a police officer for the Caruthersville and Hayti police departments in Southeast Missouri.

A Pemiscot County law enforcement official confirmed Cook previously had been fired as an officer by both the Caruthersville and Hayti police departments. The official said he did not know why Cook was terminated, but based on those terminations alone he would not have hired him.

Cook resigned as a police officer with Scott City in August 2017 and then went to work for the sheriff's department.

Cummins said Tuesday police officer Mike Culler previously told him the department did a "thorough background check" before hiring Cook. Culler is now Scott City's police chief.

After Cook resigned and became a county deputy, the Scott City Council under new Mayor Norman Brant agreed to hire him as a reserve officer and volunteer firefighter, according to council minutes.

Cook was terminated as a Scott City reserve officer after he was arrested on the sodomy charge.

He pleaded not guilty to the felony charge.

The criminal case was originally filed in Scott County Circuit Court, but later transferred to Cape Girardeau County Circuit Court on a change of venue.

A trial is scheduled for September.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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