BENTON, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — The former Bossier City Police officer charged with several counts sexual abuse of an animal and today accepted a plea bargain in Bossier District Court in Benton.

Terry Yetman, was accused of 20 counts of sexual abuse of an animal by engaging in sexual contact and 31 counts of possessing pornography involving juveniles, changed his original ‘not-guilty’ pleas to and pleaded guilty to reduced charges.

Yetman pleaded guilty to one count of child pornography, and the district attorney agreed not to prosecute the other 30 counts, and also pleaded guilty to the first five counts of sexual abuse of an animal in exchange for the district attorney agreeing not to prosecute counts six through 20.

A Bossier City Police Officer from 2014 until his December 2018 arrest, Yetman was placed on paid administrative leave in November when Bossier Police were notified of an investigation by the Louisiana State Police Special Victim’s Unit that had begun the previous August.

In October 2018, two months after the LSP investigation began, but a month before Yetman was placed on administrative leave, he was honored as a 2018 recipient of the Trey Hutchison Award, that recognized his “outstanding efforts over the past year to champion the protective rights of domestic violence victims and their families.”

The investigation produced enough evidence that a search warrant was issued for electronic devices belonging to Yetman, and during the search, evidence indicating possession of pornography involving sexual acts with an animal was found.

Yetman, who faces up to 45 years in prison, will be sentenced on Nov. 23.