(WNY News Now) Accusations of sexually abusing five kids over a period of years have been brought against a former Scranton police officer and school resource officer at West Scranton High School.
HARRISBURG—A former Lackawanna County police officer who worked as a school resource officer at West Scranton High School has been charged with sexually abusing five minors over a number of years, according to Attorney General Michelle Henry and the Pennsylvania State Police.
At the time of the alleged crimes, 49-year-old Stephen J. Carroll was a Scranton police officer; he is no longer with the department.
Carroll was accused of rape, statutory sexual assault, official oppression, institutional sexual assault, involuntary deviant sexual relations, and other felonies by Pennsylvania State Police on Friday. The accusations stem from an investigation conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Organized Crime Unit and a presentation acquired this week from the 52nd Statewide Investigating Grand Jury.
Carroll was taken into custody and charged on Friday morning. The bail amount was $500,000. On January 3, 2025, he will have his preliminary hearing.
Attorney General Henry claimed that despite taking an oath to defend his community and being expressly tasked with ensuring the safety of pupils, this public servant used his position of power to groom and sexually abuse several teenagers. Years of abuse were discovered as a result of this cooperative inquiry. These accusations are the result of the grand jury’ time and work, for which I am grateful. They heard hours of testimony. We will not give up on prosecuting this case and holding the alleged predator responsible.
“Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our students and children, and any breach of that trust is extremely upsetting and unacceptable,” stated Captain James Cuttitta of the Pennsylvania State Police, Director of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Special Investigations Division. We are dedicated to making sure that justice is done and that people in power are held to the greatest moral standards. I want to express my gratitude to our Bureau of Criminal inquiry staff for their hard work throughout this inquiry.
The suspected illicit behavior began in 2009. Charges were filed this week as a result of recent interviews and the gathering of evidence.
The alleged assaults took place at West Scranton High School and Carroll’s residence.
Senior Deputy Attorney General Helen H. Park and Chief Deputy Attorney General Heather Castellino are prosecuting this case. Until and unless the person is proven guilty, they are deemed innocent.