Trooper with checkered FBI past convicted of child rape in Alabama

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A former FBI agent was convicted Friday of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl while serving as an Alabama state trooper — a law enforcement job he landed even after he was kicked out of the FBI amid earlier claims that he raped a co-worker at knifepoint.

Christopher Bauer’s case, first detailed in an Associated Press investigation, showed how he was able to hide a checkered past and move from one law enforcement job to another with the help of an allegedly forged letter making it appear he was “eligible for rehire.”

Bauer, 44, was found guilty of first-degree sodomy and sexual abuse of a child under 12 following a weeklong trial during which his attorneys claimed the girl had made up the allegations. Sentencing was scheduled for Aug. 1.

Bauer, who has been jailed since his 2021 arrest, faces similar child sex abuse charges outside New Orleans. Louisiana state police said Friday they intend to extradite him following the Alabama proceedings.

Messages were sent to Bauer’s attorneys seeking comment. Bauer did not respond to a letter AP sent him in jail.

During the Alabama trial, the child, who is now a young teen, testified through tears that she was repeatedly abused by Bauer over a period of years, too scared to say no or to tell anyone what was happening.

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