Retired Philadelphia Officer, Facing An Extensive List of Charges For Sexual abuse, Strikes a Plea Deal and Receives 15 to 40 years in prison instead of over 1,300 years

A retired Philadelphia police officer, Patrick Heron, who had been facing an overwhelming 1,300 years in prison on over 200 criminal charges of sexual abuse involving children and women, entered a guilty plea to lesser charges. Instead of the staggering sentence he initially faced, he was sentenced to 15 to 40 years of incarceration. 

This decision followed a plea deal reached with the Philadelphia District Attorney's office.

Heron pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful contact with a minor, two counts of sexual abuse of children, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, official oppression, kidnapping of a minor, indecent assault, forgery, and stalking. These charges stemmed from five criminal cases brought against him by the DA's Special Investigations Unit (SIU).

The allegations against Heron spanned over a decade and involved numerous counts of abuse and assault against women and girls. He was accused of not only physically assaulting his victims but also taking explicit photos and videos of these horrific acts without their consent. 

Furthermore, he was alleged to have attempted to intimidate witnesses to prevent them from exposing his crimes to other law enforcement officials.

The investigation into Heron's actions included the seizure of digital images and videos linked to him. Some of these materials depicted him engaging in abusive conduct with women and girls in the back of his patrol vehicle while he was in uniform, armed with his department-issued firearm, and on duty.

One particularly disturbing video presented in court showed Heron encouraging a woman as she injected drugs in the back of his patrol vehicle before sexually assaulting her.

Heron had initially been taken into custody on child sex assault charges in June. However, the charges escalated when dozens more sex crimes were added, spanning from 2005 to 2019. A judge ordered him to be held without bail, revoking his $2 million bail.

Had Heron been convicted on all 218 charges filed by the Commonwealth, he would have potentially faced a sentence of more than 1,300 years in prison. However, he chose to plead guilty to charges representing each of the consolidated criminal cases against him, resulting in a 15 to 40-year prison sentence handed down by Judge Giovanni Campbell.

The Special Investigations Unit Supervisor, Lyandra Retacco, expressed satisfaction with this outcome, as it spared victims and witnesses from a grueling jury trial. Survivors who were prepared to testify against Heron felt relief that he was being held accountable and would no longer pose a threat to other women and girls.

District Attorney Larry Krasner condemned Heron's predatory sexual assaults and his efforts to cover up his crimes, stressing the importance of supporting the survivors in their journey to address the trauma they endured. He also highlighted the need to address systemic failures within law enforcement that allowed Heron's abuses to persist unchecked for so long.

[SOURCE]