Former APD officer sentenced in 2020 sexual assault case

A former Austin Police Department officer was sentenced March 13 in connection to an April 2020 sexual assault case.

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A former Austin Police Department officer was sentenced March 13 in connection to an April 2020 sexual assault case.

According to Travis County court records, 38-year-old Walter Dodds was charged with unlawful restraint with the exposure to serious bodily injury — a third-degree felony. Dodds pleaded guilty to the charge prior to sentencing, according to records.

Dodds was previously charged with sexual assault and official oppression, according to county records.

Documents showed Dodds was given a five-year deferred adjudication sentence. In Texas, deferred adjudication is a type of probation that allows the person sentenced to keep the conviction off their criminal record.

In addition to the five years deferred adjudication, Dodds must also stay away and have no contact with the complaining witness, as well as cover court costs.