LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – The city of Louisville agreed to pay $275,000 to settle lawsuits on behalf of five women who accused a former police officer of sexual misconduct.

In October 2019, Pablo Cano admitted to having non-consensual sex with five women who had claimed they were raped by the Louisville Metro Police officer. In a plea agreement, he was convicted of lesser sexual misconduct charges.

Cano was sentenced to five years in prison on those charges and for child pornography found on his phone during the investigation. He was released in September after serving about three years of his sentence.

On Wednesday, attorney Shannon Fauver, who represents the women, said the lawsuits were settled earlier this week. 

Fauver said the amount was less than what she had hoped for but noted that the cases were more than five years old and it was better to get something rather than risk a ruling that the city wasn't responsible. 

"They wanted to move on with the rest of their lives," Fauver said of the victims. 

One of the women, who asked not to be identified because she is a victim of a sex crime, said she was not happy with the amount the city paid but also noted that others were worn down by the years of litigation. 

"This money will make a huge difference in their lives," she told WDRB. "LMPD tried their best to silence me, it didn’t work."

Cano resigned from LMPD in September 2017 after several women came forward claiming he had raped them. A spokesperson for the Jefferson County Attorney's office, which represented the city, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Cano no longer lives in Kentucky and could not immediately be reached for comment. 

In his plea agreement, Cano admitted having non-consensual sex with five women, one of them during a traffic stop. 

Cano was ordered to undergo sexual offender treatment is registered as a sex offender.

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