Seward police chief accused of offering women leniency in exchange for sex

State police this week filed criminal charges against Seward’s police chief, who has now resigned, accusing him of offering two women leniency in criminal matters in exchange for sex.

Robert I. Baldwin Jr., 49, who served as police chief for just over a year, formerly was a part-time officer with the borough and in nearby St. Clair Township.

“He resigned his position here last week. I will tell you, I was very disappointed at learning this,” Seward Mayor Shelly Shingler said.

She declined further comment.

Baldwin could not be reached for comment.

He is charged with obstruction of justice, four counts of official oppression and one count of hindering apprehension for failing to report a criminal violation by one woman enrolled in a probation program.

An investigation began in September when state policemet with a New Florence woman, who alleged Baldwin pulled her over for a traffic violation on Feb. 19 and suggested they drive to a remote location to discuss it “because there were too many people around,” Trooper Evan Terek reported in court documents.

Seward, a community of about 495 people in northeastern Westmoreland County, sits along the Conemaugh River at the Indiana County border.

Terek said the woman followed Baldwin’s patrol car in her vehicle to a remote location on Walnut Street, along railroad tracks at the Route 711 overpass.

“This area is out of view from the general public. He again approached her vehicle there and told her that he could work this out for her, but she would have to do something for him,” Terek reported. “She understood Baldwin was asking for sex in exchange for legal discretions.”

The woman initially rebuffed Baldwin’s offer, but he texted her later that night and they met at her home the next day.

“The victim felt she had no choice but to comply with his request (for sex) or he would arrest her and issue her several citations resulting in the suspension of her driver’s license,” Terek wrote.

In a Sept. 2 interview, Terek said Baldwin denied the traffic stop or having sex with the woman. But Terek said Baldwin was heard mentioning the woman in 911 transmissions.

“If you have proof, I guess I did,” Terek quoted Baldwin as saying.

Terek also presented Baldwin with a text message he sent to the woman Feb. 19.

“He admitted he may have sent the text message to (the woman’s) cell phone by accident,” Terek reported.

Shortly after Baldwin’s interview, Terek said he received a call from St. Clair Police Chief Francis Plummer, who said Baldwin had called and said he was going to “take a leave of absence” from his part-time position.

Plummer disclosed that, a few months earlier, Baldwin told him a 27-year-old female resident was “badmouthing the police” on social media.

“(Baldwin) told Plummer that he had accidentally texted the woman something inappropriate, thinking he was texting someone else,” Terek wrote.

Troopers contacted the woman, who said Baldwin told her in July that drug paraphernalia charges would be filed against her after Plummer had confiscated a marijuana pipe from her.

The woman alleged that Baldwin claimed she could “work off” the charges. She said Baldwin repeatedly contacted her via cell phone and they met three times, including for two meals at Johnstown-area restaurants. She told police she rebuffed Baldwin’s sexual advances.

Troopers obtained a warrant to seize Baldwin’s cell phone and extracted several personal text messages between him and the woman, according to court documents.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled Dec. 11.