A former Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department officer who has been incarcerated since December 2025 on charges of rape and sexual assault is listed among those honored by a commemorative plaque installed in the U.S. Capitol this past weekend.
Timothy Valentin, an MPD patrol officer who joined the force in 2016, served during the January 6, 2021, Capitol protests. He was arrested in December 2025 on five felony counts of rape and sexual assault, with additional charges including rape by force and rape by physical incapacity or helplessness.
The plaque, authorized through a provision in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 (H.R. 2471) sponsored by Representative Hakeem Jeffries, designates Valentin among law enforcement officers “honored” for their actions during the January 6 protests. Despite delays imposed by House Speaker Mike Johnson using procedural tools to postpone its installation, the plaque was displayed in the Senate wing of the Capitol after a resolution introduced by Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR).
Maryland and Virginia prosecutors have identified at least ten victims of Valentin’s crimes. Law enforcement reports indicate that Valentin would use dating apps to select victims, then take them on dates where they were laced with sedatives before being assaulted. A grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia recently issued a superseding indictment against Valentin for three additional sexual crimes committed in March and November of last year.
