SMYRNA, Del.- Authorities say a former Delaware State Police trooper arrested earlier this month for having inappropriate sexual relations with a woman he had arrested has killed himself.
The body of 32-year-old Joshua Giddings was found at around 6 p.m. inside a shed outside his home on Wheeler Circle in Smyrna. According to authorities, foul play is not suspected and the incident is being investigated as a suicide by the Smyrna Police Department.
Until recently, Giddings was a 7-year veteran trooper of Delaware State Police with the rank of corporal. Earlier this month Giddings had been charged with sexual extortion, receiving a bribe and official misconduct after being accused of engaging in inappropriate sexual relations with a 39-year-old woman he had arrested for shoplifting.
According to police, the arrest was the culmination of an investigation into the woman's allegations of misconduct by Giddings.
The woman alleged that she and Giddings engaged in a sexual act while he was acting in his official capacity as a trooper. According to police, an investigation into the allegations substantiated that on Thursday, March 19 at approximately 8:06 p.m., Giddings was working in a patrol capacity when he was dispatched to JC Penney's at the Christiana Mall for a report of a female shoplifter in custody.
Police say Giddings arrested the woman for a single count of shoplifting and for capias charges from a local court related to traffic offenses. According to police, after the arrest the woman and Giddings agreed that if she performed a sexual favor that Giddings would not immediately take her to court to face the shoplifting charges and capiases. Police say that instead, he issued her a criminal summons to appear at a later date in court.
Police say that with the woman under arrest and detained in the police vehicle, Giddings drove to a nearby, secluded area and engaged in a sexual act with her. Giddings then concluded his interaction with the woman and drove her home, according to police.
Once DSP was notified of this allegation, an investigation was immediately launched and Giddings was suspended with pay and benefits. During the investigation, detectives secured a clothing item belonging to the victim, which was found to contain traces of seminal fluid. Consequently, detectives later obtained a search warrant to obtain DNA from Giddings.
Police say the physical evidence obtained by detectives from the victim's clothing and the DNA sample obtained from Giddings were sent to the state's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for comparison. Police say the two samples matched the DNA profile of Giddings and supported the allegation brought forth and warranted the aforementioned charges.
Arrest warrants were obtained and on Monday, May 11, Giddings was arrested and ultimately removed from the force.
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