A former York City police officer accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl pleaded guilty to one count of underage corruption.
Joseph Palmer Jr., 29, was sentenced to five years of probation and will have to complete sex offender treatment and abide by the terms of probation for adult sex offenders.
Palmer is not allowed to contact the victim or the victim’s family, is only allowed to contact his minor children, and is allowed to use the Internet for work purposes.
Last year, Palmer, a former York City police officer who served as a district attorney charged with aiding those who participated in such behaviors as truancy, drug and alcohol use, and self-harm, was charged in a civil protection order with sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl he met through his job.
Earlier last year, the teen’s mother called city police to report that her daughter had been “groomed” and sexually assaulted by an officer, according to a statement of probable cause.
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According to senior deputy district attorney Kara Bowser, after several encounters with the victim, she wanted to make sure Palmer would not be able to own a firearm and never again hold a position of public trust or become a police officer.
“That was a driving factor in making sure we had a conviction,” Bowser said.
While Bowser said the victim would have liked to see Palmer in jail, they believe this is a “suitable outcome, though by no means a perfect one.”
“The extreme amount of courage it took for her to come forward and make a statement against an abuser, a sworn law enforcement officer and move on — that speaks a lot to her courage and ability to stand up for herself and each victim. said Bowser.
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After hearing the verdict, Commissioner Michael Muldrow said his heart ached for the victim’s family.
“My heart aches for my boys, for all the people who trusted that man, and most of all, my heart aches for that sweet little girl who was so deeply hurt by his actions,” Muldrow said.
Muldrow added, “I am grateful for the time, care and effort that the DA and the entire county support team have put into this. I am grateful to all the officers (everywhere) who are doing the right thing and not taking advantage of it.” from people. I’m thankful for this family, and I’m so, so proud of her for standing up, fighting for herself, and helping hold him accountable.”
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Former York City Pa. Police officer pleads for sexual assault of a teen
