Attorney General Michelle Henry and the Pennsylvania State Police announced that a former Lackawanna County police officer, who served as a school resource officer at West Scranton High School, has been charged with sexual abuse of five students over a period of years.
Stephen J. Carroll, 49, was a Scranton Police Officer at the time of the alleged crimes — he is no longer employed by the department.
On Friday, Pennsylvania State Police charged Carroll with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, official oppression, institutional sexual assault and other offenses. The charges are the result of an investigation by the Organized Crime Unit of the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation and a presentment from the 52nd Statewide Investigating Grand Jury that was obtained this week.
Carroll was arrested Friday morning and arraigned. Bail was set at $500,000. His preliminary hearing will be on January 3, 2025.
“This public servant took an oath to protect his community and was specifically assigned to look out for the well being of students — instead he used his position of authority to groom and sexually assault multiple teenagers,” Attorney General Henry said. “This collaborative investigation uncovered a pattern of abuse that spanned years. I thank the grand jurors who listened to many hours of testimony; their time and effort led to these charges. We will continue to prosecute this case and our efforts to hold this accused predator accountable.”
“The safety and well-being of our children and students are our highest priority, and any violation of that trust is both deeply disturbing and unacceptable,” said Pennsylvania State Police Captain James Cuttitta, Director of the Special Investigations Division with the Bureau of Criminal Investigation. “We are committed to ensuring that justice is served, and that those in positions of authority are held to the highest standards of conduct. I commend the members of our Bureau of Criminal Investigation for their diligent work during this investigation.”
The alleged criminal conduct dates back to 2009. Recent interviews and the collection of evidence led to the filing of charges this week.
The alleged assaults happened at Carroll’s home and at West Scranton High School.
This case is being prosecuted by Chief Deputy Attorney General Heather Castellino and Senior Deputy Attorney General Helen H. Park. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Original source can be found here.