SCRANTON —At the end of a four-day trial, former Scranton Police Resource Officer Stephen J. Carroll, 50, was found guilty by a Lackawanna County jury on 29 of 30 charges related to the drugging and raping of students.
According to reporting by 2822News, the courtroom needed to be cleared due to Carroll suffering a medical emergency as the jury delivered its verdict.
Over the course of the trial, multiple witnesses and victims took the stand. Investigators say the crimes took place between Sept. 2009 and Nov. 2017 when he worked at West Scranton High School.
According to testimony, Carroll hosted some victims at his home, and on at least one occasion the abuse occurred at the school while Carroll was in his police uniform.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday’s office sent out a press release following the verdict.
“This verdict is not about the predator who committed these heinous acts, but the survivors of this abuse — who, for years, lived knowing that their abuser was free in the community,” Sunday said. “While it does not lessen the severity of the conduct or impact on the survivors, the passage of time can present challenges in court. Given this, we are very pleased that the jurors paid close attention to the facts in this case.”
Sunday commended the Pennsylvania State Police, Trooper Robert McGrath, and his team for their work investigating and prosecuting the case.
McGrath, of PSP’s Organized Crime Unit, filed charges in 2024 following a presentment by the 52nd statewide investigating grand jury.
Among the other charges Carroll was convicted of were involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and statutory sexual assault.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorneys General Maggie Hayes-Oberst and Helen Park.
Following the reading of the verdict, Carroll’s bail was revoked. He will be sentenced at a later date.
This story includes reporting originally published by 2822news.com.
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This story includes reporting originally published by 2822news.com.