An Altoona police officer was arrested Tuesday and charged with having sex with a 16-year-old out-of-state girl.
State police say the 16-year-old girl and Herrick "Rick" Joseph Johnson, 49, of 921 25th Ave., started communicating through a police-oriented Web site in early December, arrest papers state. They began e-mailing and talking on the phone by Dec. 28.
The Mirror has obtained a copy of the charges and criminal complaint and will post the docuements in the Mirror's Crime Center tonight.
The relationship grew to where the girl and her family came to Altoona in March and met Johnson and his family, police said.
The girl considered Johnson to be her "dad," but police say that the relationship became physical and sexual. Johnson admitted having sex with the girl three times, once in Ohio and twice in Altoona, according to the arrest papers.
The teen made three other visits to Altoona, the last on July 28. Police were alerted to the possible relationship through some of the teen's friends, who contacted an adviser in their law enforcement Explorers group.
The Explorers adviser, a police chief, contacted Altoona police and the girl was removed from Johnson's home. She was taken into protective custody Wednesday. State troopers raided Johnson's home using a search warrant on Thursday and seized evidence. He has been on paid administrative leave since then.
Johnson is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and corruption of minors.
He was arraigned Tuesday before Magisterial District Judge Joseph L. Moran and released on $20,000 unsecured bail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled Aug. 20 in Central Court.
