A Springfield police officer arrested by the Illinois State Police over four years ago after allegations of on-duty misconduct has been sentenced to prison.
30-year old Taylor Staff pleaded guilty on Wednesday in Sangamon County Circuit Court to multiple charges that include aggravated criminal sexual abuse, two counts of official misconduct, custodial sexual misconduct, and criminal sexual abuse.
Staff was arrested by Illinois State Police DCI agents in February 2021 after a request was placed by the Springfield Police Department to investigate alleged misconduct between January of 2020 through July of 2020 involving three separate victims that Staff had been in contact with.
At the time of his arrest, Staff had been with the Springfield Police Department for 3 years. The Springfield Police Department said they requested that ISP conduct an independent criminal investigation after members of the department made allegations of misconduct by other staff members.
Chief Circuit Judge Ryan Cadigan sentenced Staff to a total of 6 1/2 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, followed by one year of mandatory supervised release. He received credit for 998 days served between the Sangamon County Jail and on electric monitoring.