A Berks County man who previously served as police chief in Berks and Lancaster counties has been sentenced to prison for groping a woman in the Poconos in 2022.
Todd Graeff, 58, of Penn Township was convicted of indecent assault by a Monroe County jury in August after a one-day trial.
And on Tuesday, he was sentenced to serve two months to two years, minus one day, in the Monroe County Jail. The sentence was stayed pending an appeal, which had not yet been filed as of Friday, and Graeff remains free on bail.
Graeff must register as a sex offender with the Pennsylvania State Police for 15 years, Monroe Assistant District Attorney Michael Rakaczewski said Friday. This is necessary, even if Graeff will appeal against his conviction.
Graeff was the police chief of the Manor Township Police Department in Lancaster County at the time of the incident. He previously served as chief of the Bernville Police Department and was a lieutenant with the Muhlenberg Township Police Department before taking that position.
According to court documents:
The attack occurred on July 25, 2022, when Graeff invited the woman to his hotel room while he was at a resort in the Poconos for the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association’s annual conference.
The woman said Graeff gave her a wristband so she could use the water park and let her change in his room. She told police that as she left the bathroom, he made the comment that she should have changed in front of him.
While they were at the water park, Graeff groped the woman from behind during a ride.
The woman said she felt violated and uncomfortable, and eventually parted ways with Graeff after making an excuse and saying she had to leave the resort.
After the attack, Graeff told the woman to keep the incident “in the background” and said he knew he had crossed the line.
The women reported the incident to Pocono Mountain Regional Police several weeks later.
During the investigation, the woman met with police and, at their request, called Graeff. Graeff apologized and said he wished the day had never happened. The woman told Graeff during the conversation that she had sought therapy after the incident. Graeff continued to apologize and never denied her statements about sexual assault.
He was charged with indecent assault in October 2022.
According to a news report, Graeff was placed on leave by Manor Township in September 2022 and fired the following month.
