Former police officer Shawn Jordan, convicted of raping a teenager, only has to go to prison for 10 weekends

A disgraced Rochester police officer who raped a 13-year-old girl was sentenced to just 10 weekends in prison Wednesday for his disturbing crime – a punishment activists denounced as the “epitome of injustice.”

Shawn Jordan, 40, admitted in March to assaulting the teenager in the summer of 2022. This is one of at least two alleged sex crimes he committed while serving with the Rochester Police Department.

“This is the greatest tragedy because these parents trusted him,” Kelly Wolford, assistant district attorney for Ontario County, told ABC 3340.

“He's a police officer, and if we can't trust the police, who can we trust? It's a very difficult situation… Because this was a child who trusted someone, and he was an adult who knew better.”

The sex offender had previously pleaded guilty to second-degree rape and sexual assault in connection with an incident at his home in South Bristol, a community in Ontario County.

He was arrested a year later – six months after he was charged in a separate case for allegedly exposing himself to another teenager in an online video chat.

The sentence of ten weekends in prison followed by ten years probation was part of a plea agreement.

According to prosecutors, Jordan was desperately trying to avoid prison time and to escape violence from child molesters and police officers. Prosecutors hoped to keep the young victim from testifying about her trauma.

However, the victim's family desperately pleaded for Jordan to be sent to prison. Her mother testified in court that he had “ruined” her daughter's life and “didn't deserve to be on the streets.”

Activists also voiced their criticism of the deal, which the judge agreed to after telling Jordan: “I hope you are ashamed of yourself.”

“This ruling is the epitome of injustice and sends a dangerous message to perpetrators of child sex offenders: 'Don't worry, we won't be too harsh on you,'” Kathryn Robb, national director of the Children's Justice Campaign at Enough Abuse, told The Guardian.

“This little girl will be trapped in her memories for the rest of her life, while [the rapist] only loses 20 days of his freedom.”

Jordan, who registers as a sex offender, could still face prison time for his second sex offense, which led to his suspension and subsequent termination from the Rochester Police Department.

A court date for this case has not yet been scheduled.