Man who worked as police officer in Michigan and Florida faces charges for trying to have sex with underage girl

(WWJ) Genesee County authorities have announced charges against a former police officer for allegedly trying to have sex with am underage girl.

Sheriff Chris Swanson said an arrest warrant for child sexual abusive activity, accosting a child, and using a computer to commit a crime was authorized for 60-year old Jeffrey Morningstar, who has worked as a police officer in Detroit, Mid-Michigan and Florida.

Morningstar is not an active law enforcement officer at this time, and an internet search finds that he went on to work as an insurance agent.

Swanson said Morningstar answered a message from the GHOST Team member posing as a sex trafficker who was selling her 15-year old daughter for sex.

"He wanted to pay the trafficker $125 to have sex, and an extra $25 for the young victim to urinate on him," Swanson said. "I know it's hard for families to hear that, but we've always been transparent in these investigations — not just to demean or humiliate; that's not my intention. But it's to send a message that predators are among us, and GHOST will be there to find them."

GHOST stands for "Genesee Human Trafficking Oppression Strike Team" — a task force working to protect local communities from the threat of sexual predators and fight against sex trafficking.

"GHOST is not just the sheriff's office," Swanson said. "It's all the agencies that we work with, including the Burton Police Department, the State Police, the FBI, Secret Service, Homeland Security," Swanson said. "And we're so thankful for all those who make it work every day; for the chatter and the decoys. Our GHOST operators, if we didn't have the chatters and the decoys that we have, we would not find people like this guy."

Swanson police were searching for Morningstar, before he turned himself in on Thursday. He was arraigned in 67th District Court and given a $44,000 bond, with the condition to not be around any children under age 18.

As the investigation continues, Swanson is asking anyone with information about illegal acts involving this suspect to please come forward.

"Here's my concern: He knocked on the door, and GHOST answered," Swanson said. "Has he done it to someone who wasn't GHOST?"

Anyone with information about this case can call the sheriff's office at 810-257-3422.