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Woman Accuses High-Profile Lexington Police Sergeant Of Stalking, Spying

Posted at 10:47 AM, Aug 13, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-13 10:47:56-04

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A high-profile Lexington police officer has been reassigned amid allegations he stalked and spied on a woman who claims they had a long-term sexual relationship.

The woman filed a petition for an emergency order of protection against Sgt. Jervis Middleton on Aug. 6, saying his actions had caused her to "fear for the … safety of myself and my son."

Among the allegations, she accuses Middleton of climbing onto her roof and spying while she was inside her home. 

Messages left Monday for Middleton were not immediately returned.

LEX 18 is not naming the woman as the station’s policy is generally to avoid identifying alleged victims of domestic abuse or stalking.

Susan Straub, spokeswoman for Lexington Mayor Jim Gray, said Monday they would have no comment on the allegations against Middleton and she couldn’t provide any other information.

On Aug. 7, police spokeswoman Brenna Angel sent a news release saying only that Middleton was "transitioning to a new assignment."

Middleton has been among the Lexington Police Department’s most high-profile officers, serving until two weeks ago as the department’s public information officer.

Family Court Judge Lucinda Masterton on Aug. 7 signed the order of protection and a summons for Middleton to appear in court Aug. 16.

The order of protection covers both the woman and her son. Middleton is ordered to avoid any contact with the woman or her son and to remain "at least 500 feet" from them at all times.

In her petition, the woman says she had been "sexually involved" with Middleton for more than a year but "cut things off for good" in mid-September.

She said she only recently learned Middleton is married. She claims in her petition that he had been "driving by my house multiple times" and had "stolen and went through my cell phone." She said he also had "shown up places I have been and otherwise known things about that could have only been overheard."

The woman says that weeks after she ended the relationship, an incident at her home spurred her to seek the order of protection.

On Aug. 2, according to the woman’s petition, she was inside her home with a friend around 11 p.m. when "my friend noticed there was a man on my roof, laying flat, watching down on us through the window."

She says that when she ran outside, someone jumped "off my neighbor’s 10 ft. roof and onto the ground. Moments later, a black SUV peeled away."

She said she called police first and then Middleton, who, she says, showed "up at the scene within seconds."