[ad_1]
ABINGTON — An Abington Township police officer who was assigned to Abington High School as a school resource officer is accused of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a 17-year-old female student.
Jordan David Leig Jones, 30, of the unit block of Lumber Jack Circle, Horsham, was arrested on Tuesday by Montgomery County detectives and arraigned on charges of institutional sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child and corruption of a minor in connection with alleged incidents that occurred between November 2023 and Tuesday.
Jones was released on $50,000 unsecured bail to await a Feb. 21 preliminary hearing on the charges before District Court Judge Juanita Price.
As conditions of bail, Jones is prohibited from having contact with the alleged victim and her family. Jones also is prohibited from having unsupervised contact with minors and he may not return to the school.
District Attorney Kevin R. Steele announced Jones’ arrest on Tuesday.
Jones was an active full-time member of the Abington Township Police Department and was assigned to Abington High School as a school resource officer. Information about how long Jones was assigned to the school was unavailable on Tuesday.
Jones has been placed on administrative leave by the police department with intent to dismiss “per protocol,” officials said.
Because the alleged incidents involve a police officer, the Montgomery County Detective Bureau is the lead law enforcement agency investigating the matter.
The investigation began Feb. 12 when county detectives and Abington detectives received information from Abington High School officials that a 17-year-old girl disclosed to a counselor that she had been having a sexual relationship with Jones since November 2023, according to a criminal complaint.
The girl, who was in the 12th grade at the high school, told detectives she first met Jones while attending the high school during the 2022-23 school year. In the fall of 2023, Jones allegedly asked the girl if she would be interested in walking his pet dog.
“(The girl) agreed and the two began seeing each other outside of the school setting,” county Detective Walter Kerr alleged in the arrest affidavit.
In November 2023, the girl and Jones “became involved in a sexual relationship” that included engaging in sexual activity an estimated 15 times during the school year, including at Jones’ home, according to court documents.
On Feb. 12, a consensual phone call was conducted between the girl and Jones, which was monitored by detectives.
“During this conversation, Jones made admissions acknowledging that the two had a sexual relationship. Jones also made comments acknowledging that he was aware that the relationship between the two is illegal,” Kerr alleged in the arrest affidavit.
During the conversation, Jones allegedly stated to the girl, “I trust you, I know you wouldn’t try to get me arrested or anything,” and “that’s a big risk, of course. And I took that risk because I care about you,” according to the criminal complaint.
Jones also allegedly stated to the girl, “If we were to date, my life would be over.”
Under Pennsylvania law regarding institutional sexual assault, a person who is a volunteer or an employee of a school or a person who has direct contact with a student commits a felony of the third degree when he or she engages in sexual intercourse, deviate sexual intercourse or indecent contact with a student of the school.
A third-degree felony is punishable by a possible maximum sentence of 3½ to 7 years in prison upon conviction.
Court records did not list a lawyer for Jones.
[ad_2]
Source_link