Saturday, January 09, 2010

Officer Anthony McFadden Accused of Inappropriate Convesations with Teen

State police at Hazleton arrested a Weatherly police officer Friday and charged him with unlawful contact with a minor and corruption of minors.

Full-time Weatherly police Officer Anthony James McFadden, 49, of Main Street, Weatherly, engaged in inappropriate telephone conversations with a 15-year-old girl for more than a month, according to troopers.

State police in Hazleton said they received a complaint on Oct. 30 that McFadden took part in phone calls described Friday in arrest papers as "phone sex" with the girl.

McFadden's cell phone log listed 171 calls with the juvenile's home telephone number between Sept. 24 and Nov. 2, according to arrest papers. One call lasted 144 minutes, state police said.

The calls were sexually explicit, and the girl understood her and McFadden to be "boyfriend and girlfriend," arrest papers said.

The state police investigation into the allegations began about two months ago, and McFadden has been on suspension with pay since then.

Charges were filed Friday with District Judge Bruce Appleton in Palmerton. McFadden was arraigned before Appleton and bail was set at $20,000 unsecured. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Weatherly Mayor Tom Connors called the charges "disgusting."

"It's just a shame," he said.

Connors said the borough will take a closer look at its police department to make sure something like this doesn't happen again. He also cautioned the public not to hold the actions of one officer against the entire force.

Weatherly Borough Council began hearing complaints about some members of the department last year, including those involved in an alleged drug raid of a home based on statements made by a 7-year-old at his school. Then-police Chief Gary Veasie resigned after that incident and moved out of state to take another police job.

Council appointed Brian Markovchick as the new chief in November. Since then, council has praised his work in trying to regain the confidence of borough residents.

Markovchick said he could not comment on the allegations against McFadden while the officer was under investigation.

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