ROSS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — No charges will be filed in relation to an incident within the Ross Township Police Department involving an explicit video of a teenage boy, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office announced Wednesday.
The investigation stemmed from what allegedly happened during one of the police department’s morning roll calls.
In a letter to the Ross Township Board of Commissioners, the Ross Township Executive Board expressed concerns, claiming a sergeant showed to other officers nude pictures and a video of a teenage boy performing a sex act. The sergeant was accused of then laughing and joking.
>>PREVIOUS STORY: Allegations involving explicit video of teen boy has local police department under investigation
The other officers who were present weren’t involved in the investigation. Therefore, the executive board felt that it was inappropriate and potentially criminal to show the video.
The case was referred to the Attorney General’s office, and its investigation has now wrapped up.
“We have concluded our investigation and did not find evidence to support criminal charges,” the AG’s office said in a statement on Wednesday.
The alleged incident involving the video led, in part, to a “no-confidence” vote in Ross Township police Chief Joseph Ley, whom officers felt minimized the situation.
>>PREVIOUS STORY: Ross Township Police Chief gets vote of no confidence in light of investigation involving sergeant
In response to Wednesday’s announcement from the attorney general’s office, the Ross Township Board of Commissioners released the following statement:
“The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General has completed their investigation into the actions that occurred at a daylight shift roll call of the Ross Township Police Department on January 26, 2022, which included the viewing and discussion of a case at roll call involving a young man electronically transmitting explicit videos of himself. The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney has firmly determined that there was no criminal conduct by [the sergeant] in this incident. The case has therefore been closed by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. The Ross Township Police Department is updating procedures for handling evidence of this nature in the future.
“This should serve as another reminder to the public that social media speculation and rushing to judgment is improper and does not serve the public good. Many individuals who had limited information, or those deliberately spreading misinformation, condemned these actions without having all of the facts. It is important to allow a proper investigation to unfold before passing judgment. The Ross Township Board of commissioners is very grateful for and want to thank our residents for their continued support of the Ross Township Police Department.”
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