HOUSTON -- A 10-year veteran Houston Police Department officer faces four felony charges for arresting a woman and then allegedly dropping the charges in exchange for sex, News2Houston's Investigator Stephen Dean reported.

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Alleged Shoplifter, Police Officer Caught Making Sex Deal

Officer Lance William Elliot, 34, of Alvin, appeared in court Wednesday morning, where he was charged with three counts of improper sexual activity with a person in custody and one count of tampering with a government record.

Filed court records report Elliot was called to a supermarket for a shoplifting arrest.

A security guard at the store reported to police a 46-year-old woman was being held for stealing cosmetics.

The store and date of the shoplifting incident were not named in the court documents; however, a source connected to the case told News2Houston the Kroger store in the 1000 block of North Shepherd near 11th Street was where the shoplifting incident took place.

When Elliot arrived at the store, he handcuffed the woman and placed her in the patrol car.

According to the Houston Police Department's internal affairs report, the woman talked with Elliot about how she could be turned loose while in the patrol car.

The officer was quoted in the report as saying, "What's in it for me?'

Shortly thereafter, the officer allegedly drove the woman to a secluded spot off North Shepherd and engaged in sexual activity with her three times.

The department's Internal Affairs Division launched an investigation into the case after an anonymous caller reported the woman was not arrested, despite overwhelming evidence.

The 10-year veteran HPD officer turned himself into the Harris County Jail and posted an $8,000 bail.

The tampering with a government document charge alleged Elliot falsified his offense report of the incident to say the woman was not charged because she never left the store with any merchandise.

Assistant District Attorney Joe Owmby said the report was false because the woman was chased down and caught with merchandise by the store's security guard.

The Houston Police Department relieved Elliot of duty with pay, pending the outcome of the case.

Aaron Suder, a Houston Police Officers Union attorney representing Elliot, did not comment on the allegations, but said the officer had "no major discipline" in his personnel file with the department.

Suder confirmed that Elliot is married and currently lives in Alvin. The officer was hired by the department on Sept. 30, 1993.