The former Seward police chief pleaded guilty on Monday to charges of felony sexual extortion and official oppression for incidents in 2019 and 2020.
Westmoreland County Prosecutors say Robert Baldwin, Jr. entered the plea at the court of District Judge Meghan Billik-Defazio. Misdemeanor counts of sexual extortion, obstruction of justice, hindering apprehension and three other counts of official oppression were not prosecuted as part of the plea deal.
Prosecutors said in the incident in 2019, Baldwin allegedly used his position as chief to made advances on a woman after she was stopped in St. Clair, where he had been working as a part-time officer. He promised to make things favorable for her in a potential criminal case in exchange for sexual relations. In a separate case, he used his position and influence to have a sexual encounter with a woman he pulled over in a traffic stop in early 2020. The victim said that Baldwin initially asked her to follow him to another location where he suggested the sexual activity in exchange for him dropping the traffic offense, then visited the woman the following day for the encounter.
Baldwin resigned his position shortly after his arrest. He remains free on $25,000 bail until his sentencing hearing, which will be held in three months.
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