FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) — A Bluffton man who previously worked for several law enforcement agencies across northeast Indiana was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty to raping a woman in Fort Wayne.

Conner Esmond, 29, was charged in connection with a 2023 assault involving a woman he met through the dating app Bumble.

Esmond had previously worked as a confinement officer in Allen County, a patrol officer in Bluffton and most recently as a patrolman in Dunkirk.

Last month, Esmond pleaded guilty to the charge as part of a plea agreement that calls for a total nine-year sentence, including three years in prison and six years suspended. After his release, he must also serve three years on probation.

Allen Superior Court Judge David Zent sentenced Esmond on Monday in accordance with the plea agreement.

According to court records, the victim told investigators she met Esmond through Bumble and that he assaulted her inside her Fort Wayne home despite her repeatedly saying no.

Investigators said Esmond later texted the woman the day after the encounter, writing that he “should’ve 100% respected [her] wishes.”

Esmond told a state police detective the encounter was consensual and said he asked for consent multiple times, according to court documents. He also said the woman’s demeanor changed after the encounter and that his message the next day was meant to “reaffirm” her feelings and “make her feel better.”

As reported by 21Alive, Esmond’s guilty plea last month resolved the case without a trial.