Former Leechburg police chief Michael Diebold faces additional criminal charges

Additional criminal charges were filed this week against Michael Diebold, a former Leechburg police chief, alleging he did not comply with registration requirements for convicted sex offenders.

State police charged Diebold, 42, in Armstrong County with a felony offense in connection with allegations he used the social media site FetLife.com to contact a woman and sent her inappropriate photos from his phone.

Diebold had been in jail since early December, when a Westmoreland County judge detained him based on allegations that similar behavior violated terms of his parole for sex crimes that he was convicted of in late 2018 and for which he has yet to complete required treatment for sex offenders.

During an appearance Wednesday morning before Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio, Diebold’s defense lawyer argued both the new charge and the alleged parole violation did not warrant his continued incarceration.

“Up until this point, he’s been totally compliant. This is his first digression,” defense lawyer Duke George told the court.

Diebold previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to serve nine to 23 months in jail and three years on probation in Westmoreland County for charges he attempted to solicit sex through the internet.

Police said Diebold communicated with an undercover agent who posed as a 14-year-old girl. He was arrested as part of a sting operation by the state Attorney General’s Office.

As a condition of his sentence, he was barred from using the internet for purposes other than work.

The new criminal charge was related to the same incident that prompted the alleged parole violation. Police said Diebold used the name “Punisher228” to contact the woman via social media.

In doing so, prosecutors contend Diebold failed to meet requirements for sex offenders to register all internet profiles and email addresses with state police.

Bilik-DeFazio on Wednesday ordered Diebold to remain detained and said she won’t consider a request from prosecutors to revoke his parole until there is a disposition of the new charge in Armstrong County.

“If it were just a technical violation, he probably would have gotten out today because he’s already been in jail for two months,” George said.

Diebold hasn’t been arraigned on the new felony charge and a preliminary hearing has yet to be scheduled.

Diebold on Wednesday pleaded with the judge to be released and to allow him to continue counseling, and he asked that he be allowed to undergo a psychological evaluation.

“I beg the court to give me the opportunity to get out and continue my treatment,” Diebold said.