Former Durham Police Officer Sentenced to 37 Months for On-Duty Sexual Assault

Rayshawn Deon Taylor pleaded guilty to violating a man's civil rights while responding to a welfare check.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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Rayshawn Deon Taylor, a former corporal with the Durham Police Department, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for sexually assaulting a man during a welfare check in 2024. Taylor pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law involving sexual misconduct, admitting he used his authority as a police officer to violate the victim's civil rights.

Why it matters

This case highlights the abuse of power and violation of public trust when law enforcement officers misuse their positions to commit crimes against the very citizens they are sworn to protect. It raises concerns about accountability and oversight within police departments to prevent such incidents from occurring.

The details

According to court documents, the assault happened on August 21, 2024, when Taylor responded to a welfare check at a man's residence. Instead of offering help, prosecutors say Taylor sexually assaulted the victim inside his own home. Taylor communicated with the victim using a translation app on his personal cell phone during the encounter and later deleted the app and its cache data. Taylor also failed to activate his body-worn camera, a violation of department policy, though portions of the encounter were captured by the dashboard camera in his patrol vehicle. Taylor threatened to arrest the victim if he spoke out about the incident, but the victim eventually came forward.

  • The assault occurred on August 21, 2024.
  • Taylor was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison in February 2026.

The players

Rayshawn Deon Taylor

A former corporal with the Durham Police Department who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a man while on duty during a welfare check.

Durham Police Department

The law enforcement agency where Taylor served as a police officer for about a decade before his downfall.

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What’s next

The judge's sentence of 37 months in federal prison for Taylor's crimes will be followed by two years of supervised release.

The takeaway

This case underscores the importance of robust accountability measures and oversight within police departments to prevent abuses of power and violations of public trust. It serves as a reminder that law enforcement officers who misuse their authority to commit crimes against citizens must be held fully responsible for their actions.