Former Seward police chief pleads guilty to sex extortion plot

Former Seward police Chief Robert I. Baldwin Jr. pleaded guilty Monday to charges he offered two women leniency in exchange for sex.

Westmoreland County prosecutors claimed Baldwin used his position as head of the police department in the small borough that sits along the Conemaugh River to have a sexual encounter with a woman he pulled over during a traffic stop in early 2020.

And in another incident, while working as a part-time police officer in nearby St. Clair Township, Baldwin offered to trade leniency for sex with another woman who faced potential charges of possession of a marijuana pipe during a traffic stop, authorities said.

Baldwin, just prior to the jury selection for his upcoming trial, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of sexual extortion and a misdemeanor count of official oppression.

“By ensuring a guilty plea, this former public official meant to serve and protect his community was held accountable. We hope the victims in this case, and the entire community, feel safer tonight,” Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said.

According to court records, a 37-year-old New Florence woman claimed she was pulled over by Baldwin for running a stop sign in Seward in February 2020. She claimed Baldwin initially asked her to follow him to another location, where he suggested a sexual liaison in exchange for terminating the traffic offense.

Police said Baldwin visited the woman at her home the next day for a sexual encounter. According to court records, she told investigators she believed she had no choice but to consent to sex with Baldwin in order to avoid arrest.

In a separate incident in 2019, Baldwin was accused of using his position as a police officer to make advances to another woman after she was stopped in St. Clair. Investigators said Baldwin met with the woman three times while off duty and made sexual advances as he offered to bury a potential criminal case against her.

Baldwin resigned from his police jobs after he was arrested, defense attorney Jaclyn Shaw said.

As part of the plea deal, prosecutors dismissed six related counts, which Assistant District Attorney Anthony Iannamorelli described as lesser offenses. “He pleaded guilty to the lead charges per each victim,” the prosecutor said.

Shaw and Baldwin declined to comment following Monday’s court appearance.

Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio said Baldwin will be sentenced in about three months. He remains free on a $25,000 unsecured bond.

Meanwhile, a lawsuit filed against Baldwin and Seward Boroughby one of his accusers was dismissed last summer by a federal judge.