Child sex assault suspect quit police job amid unrelated investigation
MAGNOLIA, Texas (KTRK) -- A former Magnolia police officer accused of sexually assaulting a child quit his job and surrendered his peace officer's license amid an unrelated criminal investigation.
Brandon Muse, 44, was arrested in Minden, Louisiana, on Tuesday after investigators say he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl in Montgomery County three years ago.
The alleged crime took place long after Muse had left the Magnolia Police Department.
Magnolia Police Chief Kyle Montgomery told Eyewitness News that when Muse resigned in 2020, he was under investigation by the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office for an unrelated matter.
Montgomery says the DA's Office wouldn't tell him why they were investigating Muse.
But he says that when the investigation concluded, Muse resigned and surrendered his peace officer's license, which Texas Commission on Law Enforcement records confirm.
The DA's Office wouldn't confirm the investigation or say if Muse surrendering his license was part of a deal when Eyewitness News inquired.
But during a TCOLE meeting shortly after Muse's resignation, a TCOLE board member states, "from time to time, a prosecuting authority may negotiate with a licensee who is subject to criminal proceedings as part of a plea agreement that that officer may surrender his or her peace officer's license."
This week, a Pasadena police officer surrendered his peace officer's license as part of a deal with prosecutors.
Sgt. Michael Palitz was accused of using the city's Flock camera system to track a female officer.
The Harris County District Attorney's Office said he wouldn't be prosecuted in exchange for surrendering his license.
"It's not entirely common, but it's also not entirely uncommon either," said defense attorney and former prosecutor Murray Newman.
Newman said he's never heard of a non-police officer being allowed to give up their career to avoid prosecution.
"It does certainly have an appearance of hypocrisy that you're treating (a) law enforcement officer better than you would another citizen who is charged with that crime," Newman said.
Yet Newman acknowledged that prosecutors face unique challenges in bringing charges against police officers.
"It's hard to get a conviction on a police officer," he said. "There are a lot of people in every city, in every jurisdiction that are very pro-police officer."
A search of Muse's personnel file from his time at the Magnolia Police Department brings up no mention of an internal investigation.
The Magnolia police chief says his department didn't have enough information to conduct one because the DA's office wouldn't share any information.
Muse's only disciplinary record was a written reprimand in 2019 for showing up four hours late to work.
In his employment application, staff and congregants at Grand Central Church in Conroe serve as references for Muse.
On a questionnaire asking about his ability to multitask, the pastor replies: "Excellent. Runs an entire kids ministry."
A church member wrote of Muse, "his wife and he watch my kids from time to time. I trust him implicitly."
After he left the Magnolia Police Department, Muse went on to work as a bus driver for Magnolia ISD.
The Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constable's Office says he was working as a bus monitor in Louisiana at the time of his arrest.
Investigators say the girl he's accused of assaulting was a family friend.
RELATED: Former cop, Magnolia ISD school employee charged with child sex assault, deputies say
