Women sexually assaulted over years by Sanger cop are suing for financial damages
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- Four women sue Sanger, alleging officer Torrence committed serial sexual assaults while on duty.
- Torrence convicted in 2025, received five consecutive life terms and federal confinement.
- Lawsuit accuses city and supervisors of ignoring patterns; one victim settled for $5.2M.
Four woman who say they were sexually assaulted, stalked and threatened with death by a Sanger police officer while on duty are suing the city, police department and the officer.
The victims are seeking damages to deal with the pain and suffering they endured at the hands of former police officer J. DeShawn Torrence, 41, who was tried and convicted in January 2025 for a string of sexual assaults that began in 2016.
Torrence received five consecutive life sentences for his crimes and was sent to the Federal Correctional Institution Three Rivers in Live Oak County, Texas.
And while Torrence will spend the rest of his life behind bars, his victims are left with deep emotional scars and trauma, said their attorney Nicholas “Butch” Wagner of Fresno.
“These women are haunted by what was done to them,” Wagner said.
A longtime plaintiff’s attorney, Wagner said this is one of the most damaging cases he has dealt with.
“This was very severe,” he said. “Some of these woman will never be able to trust a law enforcement officer anymore.”
According to the lawsuit, Torrence found his victims while doing his regular patrols or when he responded to a call for service.
In one instance, one of the victims called the police for help during a domestic violence incident. During Torrence’s investigation he told the victim to remove her shirt so he could photograph her injuries. He then proceeded to sexually assault her by “touching her genitalia, breasts and buttocks,” according to court documents.
To keep his victims quiet, Torrence would threaten them with jail, or physical violence if they told anyone. He would also threaten the woman with children that he would take their kids taken away, if they spoke out.
“Defendant Torrence used and implemented a pattern and practice and status as a “peace officer” to silence his victims of sexual assault,” according to the lawsuit.
As the assaults continued, Torrence became more bold. He raped one of the victims on 10 separate occasions, according to the lawsuit. In other situations, he would force the women into the back of his patrol car, drive them to a secluded location, handcuff them and rape them, Wagner said.
One of the women was assaulted while she was at a neighborhood park with her children, according to the lawsuit.
Wagner blames the city, in part, for not knowing what Torrence was doing or for looking the other way.
“Defendant City of Sanger had a pattern and practice of its supervisory officers “turning a blind eye” to the sexual assaults and abuse,” according to the lawsuit.
Wagner said the women will need financial help to rebuild their lives and to pay for the expenses of medical and psychological treatment, therapy, and counseling.
One of the victims has already settled her case with the city and will receive $5.2 million.
Sanger City Manager Nathan Olson could not be reached for comment Thursday, but he has previously said the city acted swiftly to invite the sheriff’s office and FBI to independently investigate the officer’s actions.
“Once the criminal matter was completed with the conviction of ex-officer Torrence, the city is now working to compensate the victims,” he said.
This story was originally published February 19, 2026 at 4:31 PM.
