Former Verona cop pleads guilty in sex case involving minor

A former Verona police officer will serve probation after pleading guilty Thursday to having a sexual relationship with a teenager.

Anthony Ogline, 35, pleaded guilty to corruption of minors and furnishing alcohol to a minor before Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Jill E. Rangos.

She ordered him to serve a total of 18 months probation on the reduced charges.

Ogline was charged in January with performing a sex act on a 16-year-old boy and sharing nude photos with him.

According to the criminal complaint, the boy told Allegheny County detectives he met Ogline on the dating app, Grindr, three months earlier.

On the Grindr app, defense attorney Andrew Stiffler told the court, users must click an acknowledgement that they are 18.

Ogline and the boy exchanged messages, and on Jan. 16, the boy asked Ogline to pick him up from school, the complaint said.

Ogline invited the boy to stay with him at his home for a few days. While there, police said, they watched movies, sat in front of a fireplace, smoked marijuana and drank liquor.

The boy told police he fell asleep and woke up in only his underwear.

Police were initially called after officials from the boy’s high school called them, having seen him leaving with a man driving a black Chrysler.

Investigators pinged the boy’s cell phone to track him to Ogline’s house on Railroad Street in Verona.

Ogline was arrested a short time later and charged with felony sexual abuse of children, unlawful contact with a minor and criminal use of a phone.

“It was a very fair resolution given the gravity of the offense, the allegations, as well as the defenses,” Stiffler said.

He argued that his client had a strong defense since the victim claimed he was 18 on the Grindr app.

Ogline apologized to the boy and the court.

“He was certainly remorseful,” Stiffler said.

Ogline was fired from his job as a police officer in January after borough officials were notified of the investigation.