Northumberland County PA May 2 2012 A former Northumberland County deputy turned himself in to authorities on Monday after being indicted last week on 15 additional charges related to allegations of inappropriate sexual contact with students under his watch.On April 30, Derek Jones, a former school resource officer at Northumberland High School, turned himself in to law enforcement officials after an investigation turned up further criminal charges related to his February arrest. The charges stem from his allegedly predatory interactions with a 15-year-old student as well as new information concerning a second minor, with whom he may also have had an inappropriate sexual relationship.
“On April 24, we brought 15 new indictments against Jones,” said Westmoreland County Commonwealth’s Attorney Julia Sichol, who has been appointed as the special prosecutor on the case. “Of those, eight are for taking indecent liberties with a child by a person in a custodial or supervisory relationship and three are for crimes against nature, which include oral sex with a child.”
Sichol added that the remaining charges, including two additional counts of indecent liberties and two counts of using a communication device to solicit naked pictures of a child, were a result of additional information recently unearthed by the active inquiry.
“During the course of the investigation another victim was identified,” she said, noting the alleged victim was a juvenile.
“The investigation at this point is not leading to other children with possible criminal charges against Jones,” Sichol said. “But that is not saying there may not have been inappropriate conversations [there’s] just nothing we can prosecute criminally.”
The investigation into Jones began on Feb. 22, when a fellow student of the initial victim alerted a teacher at the high school to the possible criminal activity.
Social Services and law enforcement officials investigated the allegations and Jones, a veteran deputy who had been with the sheriff’s office for a number of years, was immediately suspended from duty.
Due to possible conflicts of interest, the prosecution of the case was transferred to Sichol with Lancaster Sheriff’s Investigator Joanie Kent taking lead on the investigation.
Additionally, Jones is being held at the Lancaster County jail instead of at the Northern Neck Regional Jail facility in Warsaw, where he would have to be kept in isolation for his own safety.
Sichol added that despite the case’s inherent difficulties, there has been excellent communication and working relationships between all the parties involved, including Northumberland Social Services and the Lancaster Sheriff’s Office.
The charges against Jones will be brought straight to circuit court in Northumberland on May 8.
Source:northern neck news
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