Former deputy sheriff sentenced for misconduct in office

LANSING — Former Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Deputy Todd Barkley has been sentenced for misconduct in office, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office announced Jan. 11.

Barkley, 46, was sentenced to three years’ probation and 90 days jail to be suspended. He will also be required to register as a Tier I Offender on the Michigan Sex Offender Registry, a non-public registry, for 15 years.

More:Former Hillsdale County Sheriff's deputy charged with misconduct

“The sentencing of Mr. Barkley makes clear that we will not tolerate misconduct by the men and women who wear the badge and choose to violate their sworn oaths and the law,” Nessel said.

Barkley’s charges stemmed from his inappropriate actions after arresting a Hillsdale County woman on multiple occasions before he exploited his position as a deputy sheriff to coerce her into a sexual relationship.

While off duty, Barkley drove to Fulton, Kentucky, where the woman was being treated for substance abuse disorder and he used his deputy sheriff badge to take her out of the facility for the purposes of engaging in sex. Barkley also engaged in sex with the woman in Michigan.

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Hillsdale County Sheriff Scott Hodshire terminated Barkley’s employment upon learning of the allegations in 2022.

Barkley is prohibited from serving in law enforcement in the future.

He began field training with the sheriff’s office in December of 2019 after a short career with the Michigan Department of Corrections. Prior to that, he worked as a police officer in Homer from 2003-09.

— Corey Murray is the Public Safety Reporter for The Hillsdale Daily News, Sturgis Journal and The Daily Reporter. Contact him by email at cmurray@hillsdale.net or follow him on Twitter: @cmurrayHDN.

This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Former deputy sheriff sentenced for misconduct in office