Yates County Investigator Megan Morehouse Remained Employed After Reported Failure in Teen Abuse Investigation.
A New York Times and New York Focus investigation has put renewed attention on the Yates County Sheriff’s Office after reporting that Investigator Megan Morehouse mishandled a 2023 teen abuse investigation and received limited discipline.
The investigation reported that a teenage girl came forward in May 2023 with allegations against her adoptive father. The case was assigned to Megan Morehouse, an investigator with the Yates County Sheriff’s Office. According to the report, Morehouse did not believe the teen, failed to take basic investigative steps recommended by Yates County District Attorney Todd Casella, and did not obtain search warrants for the father’s phone or the home.
The New York Focus version of the story states that it was published in partnership with The New York Times. The New York Times story is available here: New York Times: Teen Case Involving Yates County Officer.
After the initial investigation stalled, the teen was reportedly returned to the home. She later came forward again, and District Attorney Casella asked that the case be turned over to New York State Police. Local coverage from WHEC reported that the adoptive father was charged in November 2023, later pleaded guilty to criminal sexual assault, and was sentenced in October to 10 years in prison followed by 20 years of post-release supervision.
Casella did not treat Morehouse’s conduct as a minor mistake. According to WHAM, Casella called Morehouse’s conduct “unforgivable” and described it as the single worst instance of police misconduct he had seen. Casella also said he stood by his position that Morehouse should not be a police officer.
Despite that, Morehouse was not fired. The New York Focus investigation reported that Sheriff Frank Ryan issued a reprimand and required her to reread a department policy about sharing case records. Ryan reportedly did not believe the investigative failures warranted termination, demotion, or suspension at that time.
Morehouse was later demoted from investigator to deputy sheriff in April 2025 after additional concerns were raised, according to New York Focus. The report also stated that she remained employed by the Yates County Sheriff’s Office and continued patrol work. Finger Lakes Daily News reported that Casella said he would no longer call Morehouse as a witness in criminal cases.
Sheriff Ryan has acknowledged errors were made, while also defending the disciplinary process as part of the department’s progressive discipline system. County officials said a press conference was intended to explain what went wrong, clarify how the matter was handled, and outline changes made within the sheriff’s office since then.
This case raises a serious public accountability question. If an investigator assigned to one of the county’s most sensitive cases can fail to follow basic investigative steps, receive only limited discipline, and remain employed in law enforcement, the public has every reason to ask whether internal discipline is protecting citizens or protecting officers.
Sources
- The New York Times: Teen Case Involving Yates County Officer
- New York Focus: An Officer Bungled a Teen Case; The Victim Was Abused Again
- WHEC: Yates County Officials Say “A Lot Has Changed” Since NYT Report
- WHAM: Yates County DA Defends Sheriff as Case Gains National Attention
- Finger Lakes Daily News: Yates County Officials Plan Briefing on NYT Investigation
Tags: Megan Morehouse, Yates County Sheriff’s Office, Yates County, New York police misconduct, police discipline, Todd Casella, Frank Ryan, sheriff investigator, child abuse investigation, failed investigation, law enforcement accountability, police accountability, New York Focus, New York Times, WHEC, WHAM, Finger Lakes Daily News
