San Jose police officer charged with rape

Police Officer Geoffrey Graves is accused of raping a woman at a hotel. Police Officer Geoffrey Graves is accused of raping a woman at a hotel. Photo: Associated Press Photo: Associated Press Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close San Jose police officer charged with rape 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

A San Jose police officer has been arrested and charged with raping a woman while on duty after she had argued with her husband, authorities said Tuesday.

Officer Geoffrey Graves, 38, who has been with the Police Department for six years, was charged by Santa Clara County prosecutors with forcible rape in connection with a Sept. 22 incident.

The incident began when Graves and three other San Jose officers responded to a family disturbance involving a married couple about 2 a.m., prosecutors said. The officers determined that both spouses had been drinking and had argued, but that no crime had occurred, authorities said.

The woman, who works as a hotel maid, told officers that she wanted to spend the night at a hotel where she had previously worked.

About 2:30 a.m., Graves drove the woman to the hotel, where she went to her room alone and fell asleep, authorities said.

Fifteen minutes later, the woman heard knocking and opened the door.

"The defendant entered the room, grabbed the victim forcibly and pushed her onto the bed," Sgt. Craig Storlie, a San Jose police internal affairs investigator, wrote in an affidavit.

Graves then "took off parts of his uniform with the exception of his bulletproof vest," climbed on top of the struggling woman and raped her, Storlie wrote.

The woman reported the incident in October, prompting an investigation by San Jose police.

"Physical evidence corroborates the victim's allegations," and the woman identified Graves as the attacker, prosecutors said.

Graves surrendered Monday and was booked into county jail, San Jose police said. He posted $100,000 bail and is on paid administrative leave.

"We take enormous pride in the quality of our law enforcement officers in this county," District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. "Although rare, on-duty misdeeds bestow an unjustified blight on the stellar reputation of our hard-working peace officers. The defendant will be held accountable for his unlawful actions."

Police Chief Larry Esquivel called the case one that "tugs at our integrity," but added that "it is an isolated incident."