WATCH: "You deserve to be behind bars" | Rocky River police officer learns his fate

Video Description

Former Rocky River police officer and Michael Bernhardt will be in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court was back in court for sentencing Wednesday morning, which came one month after he pleaded guilty to three counts of unauthorized use of property/computer system. Judge Timothy McCormick presided over the sentencing. Court records show that 10 other counts were dropped amid his guilty plea. In addition, court records show “the defendant was advised that pleading to a felony will result in the permanent revocation of his Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy certificate.” Bernhardt also previously worked as a school resource officer at Rocky River High School. Prior to the judge announcing his decision on sentencing, Bernhardt offered the following statement to the court: "I am very sorry for my actions. I realize that I misused a tool that was meant for me to help serve the community and people that I was sworn to protect and serve. By misusing the database in that way, I’ve lessened everything positive that I’ve accomplished in my 30 year-career as a law enforcement officer. I would like to convey my most sincere apology to anyone affected by my actions, and I accept full responsibility for my lapses in judgment as there are no excuses for misusing the OHLEG database. Moving forward, I will continue to work towards being a better person and father, and I only ask for the mercy of the courts that I may continue to do so." CASE DETAILS On March 26, Bernhardt was indicted by a Cuyahoga County grand jury on the following charges: - 11 counts of unauthorized use of the Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway (OHLEG) - 1 count of Unauthorized Use of the Law Enforcement Automated Database System (LEADS) - 1 count of possessing criminal tools “Michael Bernhardt’s blatant and egregious pattern of disregarding citizens’ -- including minors’ -- privacy rights is outrageous, especially for a police officer,” Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley previously said when the indictment was first announced. “This case raises all kinds of red flags.” The prosecutor’s office said from 2013 to 2023, Bernhardt “would illegally search multiple people without an official law enforcement purpose” in the databases while he was an officer with the Rocky River Police Department and a school resource officer at Rocky River High School. “These searches included Rocky River students and their family members, other law enforcement officers and colleagues, school teachers and school administrators, and his own family members and ex-spouses,” according to the prosecutor’s office. In October 2023, the Rocky River Police Department asked the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) to conduct the investigation. That same month, 3News reported that Bernhardt had been removed from his position at Rocky River High School amid allegations of inappropriate behavior. According to a previous report in July, the Rocky River police department said Bernhardt "may have had communication with a high school student that was inconsistent with his role as an SRO." “BCI’s investigation uncovered several suspicious database searches, which RRPD then confirmed served no valid law enforcement purpose,” according to the prosecutor’s office. “The investigation stemmed from allegations of inappropriate relationships and contact with high school students. Investigation into this conduct revealed Bernhardt conducted 77 unlawful searches in either OHLEG or LEADS over 10 years, and the majority of searches were of females, many of which were related to his obsessive and inappropriate relationships with students.” The prosecutor’s office also previously noted that Bernhardt “ceased employment with RRPD in April 2024." Full coverage: https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/crime/former-rocky-river-police-officer-michael-bernhardt-sentenced-guilty-plea/95-da22d473-a6ce-4b2d-a876-cbc1323ee1cc -- At 3News, we’re not here to tell you the news, we’re here to share the stories that you say matter most to you. Share your ideas, thoughts, concerns and engage in conversations about the communities in which we all call home. Follow 3News on Social: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wkyc.channel3/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/wkyc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wkyc3/ Visit our site: https://www.wkyc.com/ And be sure to download our app here: https://wkyc.com/app