A Charles County jury convicted suspended Prince George’s County police officer Tristan Thigpen of sexual abuse of a minor following a five-day trial, with sentencing scheduled for April 2, 2026, where he faces up to 25 years in prison for incidents occurring in Waldorf during 2015-2016.
Tristan Thigpen, 40, of Clinton, a corporal with the Prince George’s County Police Department since 2006, was found guilty on January 16, 2026, of sexually abusing a juvenile victim he had known for several years and served as a caregiver for while the family lived in Waldorf from late 2015 through the end of 2016. The abuse escalated from initial non-sexual physical contact—such as shoulder and arm massages, tickling, and play-fighting—to Thigpen touching the victim’s genitals while alone with him, including at the Waldorf residence.
The case originated from a February 3, 2021, Child Protective Services intake report received by a Charles County Sheriff’s Office detective from Prince George’s County. During an open investigation in Prince George’s County into separate sexual abuse allegations, the juvenile victim disclosed additional incidents that occurred in Charles County. This prompted Charles County authorities to investigate the Waldorf-based offenses. The victim first reported the abuse to a family member in December 2020, leading to a police report.
Thigpen’s prior law enforcement history includes his assignment to the Bureau of Patrol before earlier suspensions. He was already suspended without pay in August 2018 following an unrelated DUI arrest in Nevada. On September 30, 2020, a Prince George’s County grand jury indicted him on charges of sexual abuse of a minor, second-degree assault, third-degree sex offense, and fourth-degree sex offense stemming from an April 1, 2020, incident involving inappropriate touching of a young child he knew, who was a member of his household. Prince George’s County Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division investigated that matter after becoming aware of the allegation and referred it to the state’s attorney’s office. Interim Police Chief Hector Velez stated at the time: “The fact the allegations against this officer involve a child make them all the more troubling. The officer had already been on suspension when our department was made aware of this allegation. We immediately opened an investigation and brought this case to the State’s Attorney’s Office for possible prosecution.”
The Charles County conviction addresses only the Waldorf incidents and remains separate from the unresolved 2020 Prince George’s County charges. Maryland law under Criminal Law Article 3-602 defines sexual abuse of a minor as engaging in sexual molestation or exploitation of a child under 18 by a parent, household or family member, or other person in a position of trust or authority, carrying a maximum penalty of 25 years imprisonment. Prosecutors in Charles County, led by State’s Attorney Tony Covington, built the case through coordination with the sheriff’s special victims unit, victim statements, and cross-jurisdictional evidence sharing common in Southern Maryland child abuse probes.
In fiscal year 2025, Maryland’s Department of Human Services documented over 4,000 substantiated child sexual abuse cases statewide, with Southern Maryland counties representing approximately 15 percent of the total. Local increases in reporting since 2020 have led to enhanced resources for investigations in Charles County. This conviction underscores the importance of family members and cross-agency cooperation in bringing such cases forward.
Thigpen remains in custody pending his April 2, 2026, sentencing in Charles County Circuit Court, where the judge will review victim impact statements and any prior record. Residents suspecting child abuse can contact the Charles County Sheriff’s Office at 301-932-2222 or Child Protective Services at 301-392-6720 for reporting or anonymous tips.