Cop arrested, accused of sex talk with teen

Officer Robert Davies.

San Jose police arrested a San Mateo police officer Thursday for allegedly chatting about sex with a woman whom he thought was a 16-year-old girl on Tinder, Snapchat and Kik.

Officer Robert Davies, 40, was arrested at his home in Morgan Hill and booked into Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of contacting a minor to commit a felony.

A “concerned citizen” who was messaging with Davies tipped police off on May 11. The person had set up a fictitious Tinder account as a 19-year-old woman, but used a profile photo to appear as a young girl.

The tipster started chatting with Davies on Tinder on May 11, but then switched to the messaging app Kik, where the tipster told Davies she was 16. Davies then asked the tipster to switch to Snapchat, where they also discussed her being 16 and talked about having sex, police said.

Detectives confirmed Davies’ identity and searched his home, electronic devices and mobile apps.

San Mateo police said Davies has been placed on paid administrative leave, and a criminal investigation is ongoing into allegations that occurred while he was off-duty in another county.

“This alleged conduct, if true, is in no way a reflection of all that we stand for as a department, and is an affront to the tenets of our department and our profession as a whole,” San Mateo Police Chief Susan Manheimer said in a statement.

According to Davies’ LinkedIn profile, he has been a police officer in San Mateo for over four years, and previously served in the Burlingame and Redwood City police departments. He was also in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years.

Anyone with information about Davies or possible additional minors who may have communicated with him are asked to contact San Jose police Detective Michael O’Grady at (408) 537-1397.

— From staff and wire reports