Content Warning: This article contains graphic depictions of child sexual abuse. Read at your own discretion.
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) — The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested a now-former deputy Justin Sigmon, of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, in Miami after allegedly making inappropriate physical contact with a child while on a cruise.
Sigmon was charged on May 30 with abusive sexual contact with a minor under the age of 12.
Federal court documents state a witness reported Sigmon was molesting a child under 12 while aboard the Carnival Sunrise cruise ship on May 26. The witness reported seeing Sigmon sexually abuse the victim while they were seated on his lap for approximately 10 minutes. The witness stated they were seated in the dining room at a table adjacent to Sigmon and had a clear view of the incident. The witness said they begin recording the incident, which was also recorded on the ship’s surveillance cameras.
A forensic interviewer interviewed the victim, but they denied Sigmon touching their private area and claimed Sigmon touched their legs. However, the FBI says the video recordings “directly refute” the victim’s rendition of the incident.
Sigmon consented to an interview with law enforcement officers, and allegedly told them he understood the touching could be perceived as “inappropriate,” but he claimed it was not intended to be “sexual.” He said that if another man touched his daughter in the same way he would have “punched him in the face.”
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office released the following statement:
“The Franklin County Office of the Sheriff was recently contacted regarding a federal criminal charge out of the state of Florida involving one of our members. Since that time, we have been
working to gather all the information we can based on the limited amount provided by federal
authorities. On Friday, June 2nd, 2023, we made the announcement to the staff of the Office of
the Sheriff that Justin Sigmon had resigned his position. Our prayers are with the Sigmon
Family.
This is a developing story. WFXR News is working to learn more information and will update you as additional details are released.
