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Thomas Delgado walks into a courtroom in the Sedgwick County Courthouse for his sentencing June 29. ‘I have nothing’ By Chris Strunk Last Updated: July 12, 2018 Ex-cop sentenced to 32 months in prison Thomas Delgado, who spent more than 20 years in law enforcement, will now spend 32 months in prison for sexual exploitation of a child. He's a convicted sex offender, he can't legally own a gun anymore and he likely will never be a cop again. Delgado said he's lost it all. In Sedgwick County District Court June 29, Delgado, a former Sedgwick County sheriff's deputy and a sergeant with the Valley Center Police Department, apologized for the “hurt" he caused. “I'd just like to say that, in reference to all of this, that first and foremost, I'd like to apologize for any victim that was hurt by anything I said or done," said Delgado, who wore an orange jail-issued jumpsuit with “Harvey County Jail" on the back. Delgado also attempted to invoke sympathy for himself. “I'd like to say that I have lost everything. I have nothing," he said. “I haven't seen my children in a year and a half. I'm just trying to hold on to the last little bit of dignity I had." Delgado and the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office reached a plea agreement in which Delgado pled guilty to the single felony charge as well as misdemeanor charges of sexual battery, attempted sexual battery, official misconduct and harassment by telecommunication device. He was sentenced to six months in jail on each of the misdemeanor charges. The sentences will run concurrently. Two counts of harassment by telecommunication device were dismissed. According to court documents in the case, Delgado carried on inappropriate relationships with at least three teenage girls and one woman while he was a sergeant with the Valley Center police force. He often took girls on ridealongs while on duty. He exchanged thousands of text messages, including sexually explicit pictures and video. Delgado's ex-wife became suspicious and alerted authorities. Delgado was first arrested on Dec. 8, 2016. He was booked into jail on charges of rape, sexual battery, sexual exploitation of a child and official misconduct. Delgado was soon released. It took prosecutors and law enforcement six months to levy formal charges against Delgado. The charges did not include rape. Delgado pled not guilty and requested a jury trial. That trial was canceled with the plea agreement. While awaiting trial, Delgado was re-arrested for violating the conditions of his release. He was accused of sending messages to his ex-wife. In court last week, Deputy District Attorney Justin Edwards said the plea agreement represented a compromise to resolve the case without requiring the victims to testify in court. Delgado's attorney, Patrick Mitchell, said Delgado has lost everything. “My client wants to get this behind him," Mitchell said. “We negotiated for a long period of time as the court has indicated. The parties know the case very well and the resolution was not what we wanted but what it was going to take to compromise. Additionally, your honor, quite frankly my client has lost everything. He was in a position where he had steady employment. He no longer has that. He is divorced, and he is not able to see his children. He has paid a high price for any of his transgressions. And at this point he is wanting to move on. He has accepted responsibility for his actions, which has negated the necessity of any victims needing to be brought to trial to testify. So, we ask the court to follow the plea agreement." Judge David Dahl followed the recommended sentence. The judge also reminded Delgado that convicted felons in Kansas can never legally own or use a firearm and he must register with the state's sex offender registry for 25 years. Delgado was given lifetime post-release supervision and ordered to pay $400 to the child advocacy center. “When a person enters into a plea agreement, we always believe that is the first step in the redemptive behavior process," Dahl said. “You're saving the victims and witnesses from having to come in and explain things in court, and that's very much appreciated." Dahl said Delgado would be eligible for good-behavior credit, which could reduce his sentence by 15 percent, and was given credit for the 88 days he has already spent in jail. He could be released from prison in about two years. |
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