A Pennsylvania school resource officer is accused of having a sexual relationship with a teenage student he met at the high school where he worked.
Jordan Jones, 29, of Horsham, was arrested Tuesday and has been charged with institutional sexual assault, endangering the welfare of children and corruption of minors, which are all felonies, the Montgomery County district attorney said.
The DA said sexual assault allegations involving Jones and a 17-year-old student at Abington Senior High School surfaced this week. The student allegedly told a counselor that she and Jones had been having a sexual relationship since November, the DA said in statement.
Jones, a full-time officer with Abington Township police who was assigned to the school as a resource officer, is accused of having sexual contact with the teen numerous times at his home, according to prosecutors.
It was not clear Tuesday night whether Jones had retained an attorney.
No one with the Abington School District could immediately be reached for comment by NBC News. NBC Philadelphia reported that a district spokesperson said in a statement that Jones has been barred from all district property.
“The wellbeing and safety of our students and staff are of paramount importance,” the spokesperson said. “In the absence of a School Resource Officer, District Administration will provide additional coverage and resources for Abington Senior High School, including having counselors on hand to support any students or staff members.”
Jones has been arraigned, and unsecured bail was set at $50,000, prosecutors said. It was not clear whether Jones was in jail Tuesday night.
Jones met the student at the high school during the 2022-23 school year, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Last fall, Jones asked the teen whether she was interested in walking his dog. The two then began seeing each other outside of school, the affidavit said.
Jones and the student spoke Monday by phone in a conversation that was monitored by the Montgomery County Detective Bureau, the affidavit said. During the call, Jones allegedly acknowledged that the relationship was illegal.
He also told the student, the affidavit said: “I trust you, I know you wouldn’t try to get me arrested or anything.”
“That’s a big risk, of course. And I took that risk because I care about you,” he said, according to the affidavit.
Abington Township Police Chief Patrick Molloy said on Facebook that Jones had been “stripped of his badge and gun and placed on administrative leave with the intent to dismiss.”
Molloy expressed disgust and betrayal over the allegations.
“As your Chief, I cannot find the words to accurately convey the pain that this betrayal of trust has caused so many, not the least of which is our victim in this case,” Molloy said.
The alleged actions “do not reflect the great work that the men and women in the Abington Township Police Department do every day,” he said.