A New York State Trooper pleaded not guilty to a charge of forcible touching.
Jason Sears appeared in Rochester City Court Friday and had no comment upon leaving the courthouse.
The charge was filed against Sears by the same agency that employs him.
According to a criminal complaint, the alleged incident happened Tuesday at a garage where Sears was picking up his vehicle following a repair.
A woman who works at the garage claims Sears groped her breasts and put his hand inside her shirt and bra. She also said he “reeked of alcohol,” according to court documents.
The owner of the garage, which services state police vehicles, said he’s worked on trooper vehicles for the past six years. However, Sears was picking up a red truck at the time.
In the court papers, the victim said she believes Sears was not on duty at the time, something that was confirmed by a police source.
In the early morning hours of the date in question, the garage owner said he was summoned to assist Sears with a flat tire. In the statement, the garage owner said when he met Sears, the officer appeared to be drunk. The garage owner drove Sears home.
New York State Police officials are not releasing more information at this time, only to say that an internal and external investigation continues.
Sears is scheduled to return to court on December 5.