A former Ripley city police officer under investigation for carrying on a sexual relationship with a minor was indicted on federal child pornography charges this week.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A former Ripley city police officer under investigation for carrying on a sexual relationship with a minor was indicted on federal child pornography charges this week.
George Michael Puskas II faces a three-count federal indictment alleging coercing a minor into posing for pornographic pictures, receiving child pornography and having child pornography on his personal computer, according to unsealed documents on file in the U.S. District Court of Southern West Virginia.
According to court documents, Puskas coerced the minor girl into engaging in sexual acts between December 2010 and January 2011. The other two counts are from January 2011 and April 2012.
Puskas has been under investigation since April, after the alleged victim told authorities Puskas had threatened to kill her and himself if she dated others. The alleged victim said she moved out of state but that Puskas continued to harass her after she left.
The victim told authorities that she first met Puskas when she was 6 or 7 years old, while Puskas was coaching soccer. The two began a romantic relationship when she was 14; the relationship ended in April 2011.
Puskas, who worked for the Ripley Police Department for about three years, resigned in May 2012 while the investigation was underway.
An arraignment and detention hearing for Puskas is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Reach Rusty Marks at rustyma...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1215.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A former Ripley city police officer under investigation for carrying on a sexual relationship with a minor was indicted on federal child pornography charges this week.
George Michael Puskas II faces a three-count federal indictment alleging coercing a minor into posing for pornographic pictures, receiving child pornography and having child pornography on his personal computer, according to unsealed documents on file in the U.S. District Court of Southern West Virginia.
According to court documents, Puskas coerced the minor girl into engaging in sexual acts between December 2010 and January 2011. The other two counts are from January 2011 and April 2012.
Puskas has been under investigation since April, after the alleged victim told authorities Puskas had threatened to kill her and himself if she dated others. The alleged victim said she moved out of state but that Puskas continued to harass her after she left.
The victim told authorities that she first met Puskas when she was 6 or 7 years old, while Puskas was coaching soccer. The two began a romantic relationship when she was 14; the relationship ended in April 2011.
Puskas, who worked for the Ripley Police Department for about three years, resigned in May 2012 while the investigation was underway.
An arraignment and detention hearing for Puskas is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Reach Rusty Marks at rustyma...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1215.
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