A Harris County deputy constable is facing a criminal investigation over allegations that he fondled a woman he had stopped for a traffic violation, officials confirmed.

Precinct 3 Deputy Constable Christopher Kerr, 32, resigned Friday in lieu of firing after his superiors received a complaint from the female motorist, Chief Deputy David Franklin said. He said the allegations have been forwarded to the Harris County District Attorney's office for criminal investigation and expects the incident may be presented to a grand jury for possible charges of official oppression.

"There was some inappropriate touching that had gone on," Franklin said, "... and there were some improper police procedures as well."

Franklin confirmed the touching by the deputy took place after the young woman was detained in the police cruiser. He said the deputy failed to file a police report indicating he had detained a suspect.

Franklin said the woman was pulled over around 1 a.m. Aug. 19 for a traffic violation on the Sam Houston Tollway.

"He had probable cause to stop her," he said, adding that the woman contacted the constable's office after the deputy released her.

Franklin said the deputy was given a letter of termination a day after the woman provided a sworn statement about the incident to internal affairs investigators.

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Kerr was allowed to resign in lieu of termination, Franklin said.

"All this is being referred to the district attorney's office, and it's all being investigated. I'm sure it will go to the grand jury," Franklin said.

Kerr had been an employee of the Precinct 3 Constable Ken Jones for eight months and had eight years of previous law enforcement experience, Franklin said.

Franklin said the constable's office takes complaints about deputies seriously and investigates them promptly.

"Any time there's an outcry made, the constable always turns it over to internal affairs, and at that point they determine what policies and procedures were violated, if any," he said. "And in this case, there were improper procedures during a traffic stop."

Efforts to reach Kerr were unsuccessful.

james.pinkerton@chron.com