Police Finish Harassment Probe of Sergeant : Anaheim: Officials decline to discuss findings after investigating sexual charges. But ‘appropriate action has been taken,’ chief says.

An internal investigation into whether a police sergeant sexually harassed several women colleagues has been completed, but police officials Tuesday declined to discuss its findings.

Asked about the investigation of Sgt. Jerry R. King, Police Chief Joseph T. Molloy would only say that “appropriate action has been taken” against him.

King, a 26-year veteran of the force who was placed on paid administrative leave last month because of the complaints, has not yet returned to work, Molloy said.

Molloy declined to state whether the allegations were determined to be true, whether King remains on paid leave or when he will be allowed to return to work.

“It’s a personnel matter and I will not discuss it any further,” Molloy said. The chief confirmed last month that the allegations against the officer involved verbal and not physical harassment.

King also refused to comment Tuesday evening.

Although Molloy and other police officials have declined to elaborate on the allegations against King, police sources have said that as many as four women, all non-sworn officers, accused him of making inappropriate comments. The sources said King was accused of commenting on the size of one woman’s breasts and the buttocks of another.

In addition to the sexual harassment complaints, King was also accused of “creating a hostile work environment and discrimination” because he treated sworn officers differently from the non-sworn employees, according to Jon M. Beteag, president of the Anaheim Police Officers Assn.

The women who complained about King all worked for him in the department’s community services detail. None of the women could be reached for comment Tuesday.

When the allegations were first made public, Beteag said he was disappointed with the department’s handling of the case because supervisors had unnecessarily created an “aura of guilt” around the sergeant.

Beteag complained that King was not offered an opportunity to defend himself before he was suspended. Beteag could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

After his suspension, King had said he was “shocked” by the complaints but declined to discuss the matter.

Over the course of the investigation, King was interviewed as were the women who made the allegations, police officials said. The investigation took about seven weeks.

The union had assigned an attorney to represent King in his hearing with the administration. That attorney, however, could not be reached for comment.

Before King was assigned to the community services detail, he had worked a variety of positions within the department from patrol officer to detective.

Times correspondent Terry Spencer contributed to this story.