Sex & Scandal: JPD investigator admits to having sex with informant, giving her money
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JACKSON, Tenn. — A series of personal and raunchy texts are sent to a Jackson police officer’s city-issued cell phone. The messages detail things about his personal life and things the person alleges to have seen him do — embarrassing, possibly criminal acts. The texts say unless he hands over $1,200 by 4 a.m. the next day, the person will go to the news.
On Aug. 11, 2014, Investigator Dwayne McClain contacted his immediate supervisor, Lt. Jeff Sheppard, out of fear he was being extorted. Less than an hour later, McClain met with Sheppard, Investigator Terry Buckley and the CID commander, Capt. Tyreece Miller.
A summary of the meeting by Sheppard shows McClain was questioned about the truth of the texts. He was asked specifically about his involvement with an alleged prostitute he was seen picking up at East Pointe Apartments. According to the summary, McClain admitted to picking up a young woman and having sex with her but said she was not a prostitute. During this meeting, he confirmed he had used the woman as a confidential informant, or CI, in the past. McClain also told his supervisors he had given her money for things such as food and diapers.
McClain was issued a new phone the next day. It was determined the texts were sent using a “spoof” app. McClain decided not to pursue extortion charges.
On Aug. 20, Lt. Sheppard and Capt. Miller met with members of the Professional Standards and Integrity Unit. On Sept. 3, McClain was informed he was the focus of an internal investigation. On that same day, he was interviewed by internal affairs investigators for 29 minutes.
The 24-year-old informant, whom we are not identifying for her safety, was interviewed by one of the same internal affairs investigators on Sept. 17. Her interview lasted 12 minutes.
During McClain’s interview, he told the investigators he had known the woman for about a year and had sex with her four or five times. He maintained the two were secretly dating as he went through a divorce. He admitted to picking up the woman in his personal pickup truck and bringing her to his apartment. He said his monetary gifts were for clothes, diapers for her children or minutes for her phone. He told the investigator he never felt like he was paying for sex.
Though he said he used her as a CI, McClain said he never worked a case where she was the suspect. He also said he never paid her from JPD’s informant fund but did think she had received money from Crime Stoppers.
McClain also was asked about an incident mentioned in the original text messages about “you taken 4 prostitititutes (sic) some were they were have naked.” McClain admitted to driving the young woman and three of her friends to a club just off Exit 126 in Benton County. He said they wanted to go and dance to make money. But he said when they got there, the club was closed.
During the ride back, the young woman told the investigator McClain started rubbing on one of the other girl’s legs and gave her $30 when they returned to Jackson. The informant also said it was McClain’s idea to go, and he encouraged them to dress in something they could “dance in.”
That was not the only difference in the stories told by the young woman. She said her affair with McClain lasted close to six years. She estimated during that time they had sex more than 50 times. She believes he paid her about half of the times. She also confirmed she was paid through Crime Stoppers twice.
She told the investigator she met McClain when she was 18. He was investigating her for burglary, a charge that sent her to jail for a few months. She said shortly after she got out, McClain called her and told her he needed her to look at photos.
According to the informant, he picked her up in his pickup truck and drove her to his house in Beech Bluff. Inside the house, she said as she looked at the pictures he started “feeling on me.” She said they had sex and he took her home. Two days later, she said he gave her $60.
Though she said McClain told her of other women he had sex with, he told investigators differently. McClain, a 19-year veteran of the police department, said he had not had sex with anyone else and given her money.
The internal affairs investigator interviewed another of McClain’s informants. She said he had never acted inappropriately with her and the two had never had sex.
When asked about the discrepancies between McClain and the woman’s account of their relationship, the department said they had to rely on the evidence. Maj. Thom Corley, legal adviser to the chief, said it was impossible to prove certain aspects of the stories. “You’ve got to understand we’re working with some folks that have limited credibility,” he said.
On Oct. 23, Deputy Chief Barry Michael determined McClain violated the department regulations on personal conduct and consorting with persons of bad or criminal reputation. He was suspended without pay for 10 days, but that was reduced to six days because he voluntarily attended counseling. He also was transferred from the Criminal Investigations Division to the Patrol Division, which limits his interaction with CIs.
A day later, Interim Chief Julian Wiser signed off on the punishment. Wiser declined to be interviewed for this story.
A review of McClain’s personnel folder showed four other write-ups including a March 2013 incident where he was accused of paying women for sex, but there was no investigation because the witnesses would not cooperate.
To read the transcript of the full internal affairs interview with Investigator McClain as provided by the Jackson Police Department, click here. Information that could compromise any of the involved parties’ safety was redacted by the department.
To read the transcript of the full internal affairs interview with the female informant as provided by the Jackson Police Department, click here. Information that could compromise any of the involved parties’ safety was redacted by the department.
To listen to the internal affairs interview with McClain as provided by the Jackson Police Department, click here. Information that could compromise any of the involved parties’ safety was redacted by the department.
We are not releasing the audio of the informant’s interview to protect her identity.
