KANSAS CITY, Kan. — On Friday, Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree announced the single charge that landed a KCK firefighter in jail.
Devin Rich, 33, is charged with sexual exploitation of a child.
According to Dupree, law enforcement started looking into Rich late last year when they received a tip about his behavior.
“That says he’s doing or what he’s asking was a violation of the law and that was brought to the attention of the FBI task force,” Dupree said.
The DA said that in February Rich started talking with an FBI agent posing as a 15-year-old.
“And in that conversation attempts to solicit that child for sexual acts,” Dupree said.
Court documents allege some of the chatting was done on electronics devices provided by the fire department.
“We do have evidence to believe at least some of the communication occurred while he was on duty while he was at the firehouse,” Dupree said.
In April, agents raided Rich’s house in western KCK. At that time the fire department suspended the eight-year veteran without pay.
“Every time someone gets in trouble you have concern that people are going to think what they think and hopefully people will understand we still serve the community and this is just an isolated incident with this person and once again he’s allowed due process and deal with the matter when it happens,” said Battalion Chief Morris Letcher, a spokesperson for the KCKFD.
The investigation is ongoing, Dupree said.
“It is my hope that we can get those who violate the law in uniform out of the uniform because for every one there’s hundreds more who are doing the right thing,” he said.
Information from the Wyandotte County booking log shows Rich was taken into custody on the charge Friday at 9 a.m.
Prosecutors requested a $100,000 bond. Rich made his first court appearance and posted bond Friday afternoon. His next court appearance is Sept. 25 at 9 a.m. in Division 13.
The charge Rich faces is a felony. If convicted, he could be sentenced to least four and half years in prison.
