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Split verdict for former officer accused of having sex with underage informant

A jury came down with a split verdict for a former police officer accused of having sex with an underage, confidential informant.

Ryan Reese, 43, was cleared of the most serious sex charge against him, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse. Reese was found guilty of corruption of a minor.

On Wednesday, a Fayette County jury deliberated for hours with regard to the accusation that Reese had sex with a girl who was 15 when they met during a drug bust.

The victim testified that she became a confidential informant in 2014 and agreed to perform sex acts and have sex with Reese. In exchange, she said that she believed that Reese would drop drugs and weapons charges against her and her boyfriend.

Prosecutors said Reese had sex with the girl while on-duty, in his patrol car, the police gym and the police station garage. They said he and the teen exchanged hundreds of text messages.

According to the grand jury indictment, the victim’s mother told state police about a meeting Reese set up with the girl. Six troopers followed them to an empty school bus parking lot, where they said Reese and the girl turned off the headlines and were parked for 21 minutes.

Reese’s defense attorney questioned the victim’s testimony, saying it didn’t match up with her original statements to police, also citing text messages that they allege showed the victim pursuing the police officer. The victim blamed her behavior on a heroin addition.

Jurors deliberated for several hours Wednesday before coming down with the split verdict. Reese was free on a $10,000 bond, but the judge increased it to $75,000 and deputies handcuffed him and took him to jail. He faces probation and up to nine months in jail.

Reese still has more legal cases pending. He was the chief of the Fayette County Task Force and is charged with abusing power in multiple cases, including a rape case in Westmoreland County.

Stay with Channel 11 News and WPXI.com for continuing coverage.