Police officer charged with sex crimes involving girls -- themo...

A small-town police officer was charged Thursday with having indecent contact with underage girls and pressuring girls to have sex with him in exchange for lenient treatment for themselves or relatives.

[Again]

What is wrong with Police in Pennsylvania? I personally believe it is a function of lack of professioanl requirements to become a police officer and a function of too many small municipalities. With 67 counties, at most Pennsylvania need is 300 municipalities, not 2300.

Small departments make it ripe for corruption, neopotism, cronyism, favoritism, the larger the municipality the more likely it will have a professional staff of elected and government workers with a background for professional management of the governance affairs of the municipality.

It is time the legislature examine municipality consolidation. It hasn't happened since Pre-Civil War days.

These incidents around the state of police corruption are ruining the creditibility of police and police departments statewide. It is time Pennsylvania became modern, rather than staying Pennsyltucky.

[Evil Cop]

This officer has quite a record for going after underage girls. There should be no problem convicting him this time.

[Country Girl]

Not all police officers are corrupt, it isn't fair to lump them all together as thugs because of the (reprehensible) actions of a few. Every profession has it's share of bad apples. I don't know what the solution is but it could start with more thorough background investigations - this officer had a history of inappropriate conduct with young girls, that should have excluded him from being hired. If the allegations against him are true, I hope he is convicted and receives the maximum sentence allowed.

[out loud]

<<<Not all police officers are corrupt, it isn't fair to lump them all together as thugs because of the (reprehensible) actions of a few. Every profession has it's share of bad apples. I don't know what the solution is but it could start with more thorough background investigations - this officer had a history of inappropriate conduct with young girls, that should have excluded him from being hired. If the allegations against him are true, I hope he is convicted and receives the maximum sentence allowed.>>>

However, with the frequency of these reports, it appears that municipalities are not screening the Police. The Blue line does protect these criminals in uniform. These are the one's that get CAUGHT. When someone has the authority to change your future with the stoke of a pen, serious consideration must be taken to their concept of authority and how it is enforced.This is a real problem that MUST be addressed. It also appears that if the Allentown Police Chief would have paid attention to the previous pattern of behavior of the Policeman who was responsible for the dead of the young child, that a tragedy may've been avoided.

My own experience with my local police leads me to believe that they are corrupt, collusive, capable of conspiring an incidence. If you are chummy with them, I believe you can get away with anything. I believe my local police created a situation attempting to ENTRAP me, however it failed, So they do circle the wagons when their authority is questioned. It has been inferred to me that I am a MARKED person because I questioned them. That is not an example of authority, that is an example of authoritarianism .

Pennsylvania needs to move in to the year 2007 and out of the 1950's of the deep South where if you sleep with the right people you can get away with anything. People will have more trust with the Police when they keep informing us on a regular basis how trustworthy they are. It takes years to build trust and only one second to destroy it.

[Amused]

Wow. It's amazing how much cop bashing I read in here regarding this matter.

Just because he is a cop is MEANINGLESS. It is the person who did the crime, not the profession. If it were a bunch of lawyers, then we would have lawyer bashers. If it were clowns, then the clown bashers.

One bad cop in one department doesn't make ALL the PA cops bad. But, since some prefer to think that way, they must also think that NOT ONE person in this world is any good. As soon as a white person commits a crime, then I guess ALL the white are bad. As soon as a hispanic commits a crime, then I guess ALL the hispanics are bad. I guess when a Priest rapes a boy, then ALL the priests are bad.

Christ... A lot of these comments are disgusting. It would be funny if the police could have a list of the names of you cop bashers. Then, when you need assistance, the police can check the list and decide NOT to help the people who say that there aren't any good cops.

May all you cop bashers have to wait and wait and wait for a cop when you need one. Then you will be crying how the cops didn't get there in time. I guess there's just no way to satisfy these people who sit on their brains...

[Peter Longorea]

he should rot in jail for the rest of his life!!!!!!!!

[comment]

Amused,

As a hired servant of the people, it is not a "choice" of which laws or which citizens you must assit or respond to or which criminals you must apprehend and file charges against.

The mentality that you project is further indication of the problems that exist in peace officers throughout the commonwealth. I a sure hope you are not one that has been hired by taxpayer money to this position of public trust.

[out loud]

<<<<The mentality that you project is further indication of the problems that exist in peace officers throughout the commonwealth. I a sure hope you are not one that has been hired by taxpayer money to this position of public trust.>>>

Good point! I also wonder if a vail threat is being made that Law Enforcement searches these boards to find those who question their authority in order to teach them who is boss. An when someone questioned the system, they are warned to stay in their place or else. Their just never seems to a shortage of rouge policemen and these are the one that get caught.

[observor]

Yes, the Pittsburgh Police Department. The first police force with a federal decree issued upon it to clean the department up.

Here is a little story from August 2007 about two of Pittsburgh's "finest".(sarcasm)

Two Pittsburgh detectives, one of them the son of Allegheny County police Superintendent Charles Moffatt, were charged with assaulting Hanover Township police officers at a country music concert over the weekend.


Detectives Patrick Michael Moffatt, 38, of the homicide squad, and Joseph Mark Simunovic, 39, of the sex assault/family crisis division, are accused of fighting several township officers at a Toby Keith concert at the Post-Gazette Pavilion.

Both were charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, resisting arrest, harassment, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness.

Detective Moffatt was additionally charged with obstruction of the administration of law and Detective Simunovic was charged with additional aggravated and simple assault charges.

Pittsburgh Police Chief Nate Harper said the two detectives have been temporarily reassigned to uniformed street duty pending the outcome of their cases. He said internal affairs will investigate the incident.

"We expect our officers, even when off duty, to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times," Chief Harper said. Departmental charges can follow the adjudication of their case, the chief said.

According to an affidavit filed in Washington County, the incident began when Hanover officers responded to a disturbance in the parking lot after the show.

"The defendants became very hostile and began to ridicule the on-scene officers and said they did not have to listen to the officers," the affidavit states.

Detective Simunovic tried to assault Hanover police Officer Jacob Stevenson by moving toward him and saying, "I will show you something," the report says.

When Officer Stevenson pinned Detective Simunovic to a vehicle in an attempt to arrest him, Detective Moffatt charged at another Hanover officer, tackled and then choked him. That officer was able to break free and another officer grabbed Detective Moffatt to restrain him.

As this was happening, Sean Patrick Foley, who was with Detective Moffatt and Detective Simunovic, threw punches at another officer's face, the affidavit says.

Yes, "Police are such great role models".

[Libertarian]

While I think people should not have to worry about who they have consensual sex with, statutory laws notwithstanding;
Where are all the cops coming to the aid of defending this poor guy?
You know? Like those defending all the other cops caught breaking the law.
You got a badge? You break the law? Jail time and fines should be treble, including capital punishment. Quadrupled if it's committed under color of law (wearing the badge).