Delco cop, charged with harassing women, gets probation
A former Delaware County police officer convicted of falsely imprisoning two women - alleging making a suggestive comment to one of them - during routine stops was sentenced Tuesday to six years probation.
A former Delaware County police officer convicted of falsely imprisoning two women - alleging making a suggestive comment to one of them - during routine stops was sentenced Tuesday to six years probation.
Judge Mary Alice Brennan also fined Christopher Scott, 36, of Berwyn, Chester County, a part-time officer in Darby Township at the time of the incidents, $2,000 and ordered him to undergo psychological evaluation.
In January, Scott was convicted of two misdemeanor charges, false imprisonment and abuse of power, but was acquitted of more serious counts of stalking and kidnapping the two women.
Scott, a married father of two children, had been on a court-ordered home-monitoring device for the last 11 months, and defense attorney William Davis argued "that is punishment enough."
"This case calls out for some incarceration," countered prosecutor Ryan Grace, adding that sentencing should have taken into account that Scott was armed.
In July 2013 Scott pulled over a woman for alleged traffic violations, after she had left a Ridley Township bar, and told her to follow him to a Springfield Township park.
He ordered her into the back seat of the police vehicle and asked, "what she could do to get out of this," according to the affidavit of probable cause. He eventually released her.
The next night, Scott stopped another woman who was walking on Ashland Avene in Glenolden and took her to the same park to perform a sobriety test. While there Scott was confronted by the first woman's boyfriend, who happened by and spotted the police cruiser. He called 911 as Scott sped away.
Scott had contended that he had been poorly trained.
"He regrets he made a mistake," Davis said.
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