A Palmer Township police officer assigned to Easton High School sent an explicit photo of himself to an underage student, authorities allege.
The Northampton County District Attorney’s Office said Wednesday that the officer, John Smoke of Bangor, has been arrested and charged with corruption of minors and relieved of his duties. He was arraigned by District Judge Susan Hutnik and freed on $50,000 unsecured bail.
According to a news release, the office was told March 22 that Smoke, the high school resource officer, had sent the photo to the student. An investigation found he had also sent the student cash through an app and contacted the student at inappropriate hours, the release says.
Smoke will be under pretrial supervision and has been ordered to have no contact with the victim and no entry to Easton Area High School, the release said.
A conviction for corruption of minors carries a possible sentence of up to five years.
“We want to assure the students, parents and others who may have an ongoing relationship with the school that all information gathered to this point indicates that this is a completely isolated matter,” the release says.
“There is no indication that there are any other student victims and no other students have ongoing contact with Officer Smoke.”
In a statement, Palmer police said Smoke has been suspended “with the intent to terminate.”
The department encouraged anyone in the township and school district communities with information that could be relevant to the case contact the district attorney’s office: 610-559-3020.
