Former WCSO Deputy Pleads Guilty to Federal Sex Crime Charge

A former Williamson County Sheriff’s Office deputy pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to possess child pornography after he attempted to obtain nude photos from someone he thought was a child in a federal law enforcement sting.

According to federal court documents, Joseph Slabaugh communicated with a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent, who was posing as a 14-year-old girl on the Kik messaging app, and attempted to get the fictional girl to send him nude photos.

According to a WCSO spokesperson, Slabaugh was hired in 2011 and resigned from WCSO as a Lieutenant in the patrol division on September 28, before charges were filed against him on October 16.

WCSO declined to issue any comment on Slabaugh until he is sentenced at an undetermined date.

Slabaugh could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison, up to three years on supervised probation, and fined up to $250,000.