Manassas police officer accused of contact with minors kills himself

Indecent Liberties by a Custodian | Barricade Situation – On December 15th, detectives from the Special Victims Unit attempted to execute a search warrant and multiple arrest warrants at a residence located in the 13700 block of Senea Dr in Gainesville (20155) regarding an active ongoing investigation.

When detectives made contact with the accused at the home, he refused to surrender to law enforcement. The accused was believed to be armed and precautions were taken to evacuate neighboring residences. While detectives were communicating with the accused, he pulled out a handgun and shot himself. The accused was pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives began an investigation on December 14th involving inappropriate communication between the accused and a victim, identified as a 13 year old male juvenile. The investigation revealed that the accused was a coach for a local Prince William County hockey league where he had met the victim.

Detectives learned that the inappropriate contact between the accused and the victim began in June of 2013 when the victim was 11 years old. The contact consisted of soliciting sexual acts via phone, text, social media and email. The accused also had face to face interactions with the victim.

During the investigation, detectives learned of a second male victim who also affiliated with the hockey league and had inappropriate communication with the accused which began in June of 2008 when the victim was 13 years old. Following the investigation, detectives obtained warrants for the arrest of the accused and for a subsequent search of the home.

The accused was also identified as a Manassas City police detective who served on the Northern Virginia-Washington D.C. Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Identified:

The accused was identified as David Edward ABBOTT Jr., 39, of 13756 Senea Dr in Gainesville

Warrants obtained were 2 counts of indecent liberties by a custodian and 2 counts of use of a communications device to solicit sexual offenses

Manassas City Police Department is mourning the loss of one of our officers, who took his own life at his home in Prince William County early today. On Dec. 14, 2015, Manassas City Police was notified by Prince William County Police that an allegation of criminal misconduct was made against a Manassas City Police Officer. The Officer was identified as Det. D. E. Abbott, Jr., who was assigned to the Northern Virginia-Washington, DC (NOVA-DC ICAC) Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

This is a tragic and sad day for the Abbott family, the juvenile victims and their families, the Manassas City Police Department, and our community. In spite of these recent developments regarding the serious allegations against him, we are grateful for the contributions Det. Abbott made during his time with Manassas City Police, to include the prosecution and conviction of hundreds of criminals. His family and peers request privacy during this time as we grieve and struggle to accept the realities of such a loss.