SPOKANE, Wash. – Two Spokane Police Department (SPD) officers resigned in 2025 following investigations into allegations of inappropriate sexual relationships with domestic violence victims, prompting investigations by SPD internal affairs.
The information was first reported by The Spokesman-Review and later confirmed by SPD Public Information Officer Daniel Strassenberg.
Toby Bryer, 43, who was a member of SPD’s Explosives Disposal Unit, was the subject of an internal affairs investigation after a domestic violence victim reported that she and Bryer had engaged in a sexual relationship for nearly two years.
Investigators said that Bryer met the woman in March 2023 while responding to her home after she reported a domestic violence threat. The two began exchanging text messages, and Bryer later started communicating with her from his personal phone.
Investigators uncovered thousands of text messages, photos, and videos containing explicit material exchanged between Bryer and the woman. The investigation also found that several sexual encounters took place while Bryer was on duty.
Bryer, who joined SPD in 2011, resigned one day before he was scheduled to meet with internal affairs investigators. His employment officially ended on March 18.
After his resignation, investigators determined Bryer had violated multiple SPD policies, including prohibitions on on-duty sexual activity, maintaining relationships with victims or suspects, and unauthorized computer access. An SPD officer later found a flash drive containing explicit photos of Bryer, the woman, and other adult women inside a police vehicle previously assigned to him.
Another woman came forward during the investigation, alleging she had a relationship with Bryer that ended in 2020. She told investigators she later began an affair with , who joined the department in 2010. The woman claimed Conrath took her on ride-alongs and engaged in sexual activity with her while on duty. She also alleged Conrath cheated on his wife with multiple women, including herself.
The woman further alleged that Bryer and Conrath were aware of each other’s actions and had collaborated to pursue relationships with women while agreeing to protect one another.
Her statements prompted a separate internal affairs investigation into Conrath, which began in February 2025.
Conrath’s employment with SPD ended on June 20. He was accused of engaging in on-duty sexual activity, unauthorized use of department property, failure to take required action while on duty, providing false or misleading statements to a supervisor or investigator, and conduct discrediting the Spokane Police Department and the law enforcement profession.
Conrath had previously been suspended for 30 days in 2016 following allegations of conduct unbecoming an officer, stemming from an inappropriate relationship with a woman he met during a domestic violence call. According to records, he maintained contact with the woman and met her multiple times at locations including a South Hill parking lot, the Mirabeau Hotel, and a Spokane Valley motel. One of the encounters reportedly included “sexual contact.”
SPD’s Administrative Review Panel reviewed the findings from both internal affairs investigations and determined the information to be accurate.
