A Lackawanna County jury on Thursday convicted a former school resource officer on 29 charges regarding sexual abuse of students.
Stephen J. Carroll, 50, who served as a school resource officer at West Scranton High School, hosted some of the victims at his home, where they were provided alcohol. The abuse happened there and, on at least one occasion, at school while Carroll was in police uniform, according to prosecutors.
The crimes happened in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
Carroll suffered a medical emergency as the jury verdict was being read and is being treated by medical professionals, his attorney, Jason Shrive, said.
“We are obviously disappointed in the jury’s verdict, but we respect it and our system of justice. We put on the best defense case we could for our client," Shrive said in a statement. "Stephen Carroll maintains his innocence and vows to appeal his conviction. We will be analyzing all avenues and issues for appeal in the coming weeks.”
In 2024, following a presentment by the 52nd Statewide Investigating Grand Jury, Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Robert McGrath, of PSP’s Organized Crime Unit, filed charges.
“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,” Attorney General Dave Sunday said in a news release. “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.”
Following the four-day trial, the jury convicted Carroll of rape and 28 other offenses, including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and statutory sexual assault.
Bail was revoked. Carroll will be sentenced on a later date.
