A Cayuga County sheriff’s deputy has been placed on paid administrative leave and stripped of his law enforcement duties after State Police charged him in connection with an alleged sexual relationship with a minor.
Hunter R. Lawrence, 25, of Auburn, was arrested July 3 following an investigation into what New York State Police described as an inappropriate relationship with a victim under the age of 17. Investigators said Lawrence engaged in multiple sexual encounters with the victim over an extended period of time, with the incidents occurring while the victim was at different ages.
State Police charged Lawrence with two counts of second-degree rape, a Class D felony; two counts of third-degree rape, a Class E felony; and endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor. He was processed at SP Homer and taken to Cortland County Jail for centralized arraignment.
Lawrence is employed by the Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy sheriff assigned to the Road Patrol Division. Sheriff Brian Schenck said Lawrence has worked for the agency since June 16, 2023.
State Police said there are no allegations that the conduct occurred while Lawrence was on duty. The agency said it worked closely with Schenck after he was notified of the allegations.
In a statement, Schenck said the Sheriff’s Office is fully cooperating with State Police and will continue doing so throughout the criminal investigation. Because an outside law enforcement agency is handling the criminal case, Schenck said his office would not comment on the facts or allegations beyond what State Police already released.
Effective July 3, Lawrence was placed on paid administrative leave. Schenck said Lawrence has also been relieved of all law enforcement duties, including the authority to carry a department-issued firearm or exercise police powers, while the criminal case and the Sheriff’s Office’s internal administrative investigation proceed.
The paid leave status is required under state civil service law, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Schenck said public employees covered by Section 75 of New York Civil Service Law generally cannot be suspended without pay before disciplinary proceedings conclude, except under limited circumstances allowed by law or collective bargaining agreements.
Schenck said the decision to place Lawrence on paid leave should not be viewed as a determination about the criminal charges or his continued employment. He said the move preserves Lawrence’s due process rights while protecting the integrity of both the criminal and administrative investigations.
The Sheriff’s Office has also launched its own administrative investigation to determine whether Lawrence violated department policies, procedures or standards of conduct. Schenck said that process is separate from the criminal case and operates under different legal standards and burdens of proof.
Administrative action will be taken after the criminal and internal processes conclude, Schenck said, consistent with applicable law and collective bargaining agreements.
The sheriff called the allegations “extremely serious and deeply troubling,” saying that if proven, the conduct would be completely inconsistent with the oath of office, the values of the agency and the professionalism expected of its members.
State Police said the investigation remains ongoing. The Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office said no further information will be released while the criminal and administrative investigations continue.
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