Suspended NJ deputy facing federal charges in teen sex case
PHILADELPHIA >> A suspended New Jersey sheriff’s deputy accused of having sex with a 17-yearold Pennsylvania girl and posting the video online is now facing federal charges.
NJ.com reports that 33-year-old Joshua Padilla of Eatontown was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pennsylvania on charges of producing, distributing and possession child pornography in relation to the video.
The Middlesex County officer, who was suspended without pay, was charged in eastern Pennsylvania’s Northampton County in February with unlawful contact with a minor, obscene materials and child sex abuse.
State police say after a tip about the alleged 2018 sexual contact, Padilla was arrested in a sting in which an agent posed as a 14-year-old girl.
Federal court documents don’t list an attorney; Padilla’s attorney in the state case declined comment Monday.
Pennsylvania casinos rolling out online gambling
HARRISBURG, PA. >> Pennsylvania is joining the short list of states where online casino-style gambling is available.
On Monday, state regulators will allow Parx Casino in suburban Philadelphia and Penn National’s Hollywood Casino near Hershey to launch online gambling portals to patrons statewide as part of a three-day test.
Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware are the only other states where online casino gambling is legal.
A 2017 Pennsylvania law authorized an aggressive expansion of gambling , and allowed the state’s casinos to operate casino-style gambling on websites and mobile applications for a license fee of $10 million.
The two casinos aren’t ready to roll out poker, however.
Pennsylvania is already the nation’s No. 2 state for commercial casino revenue, behind Nevada, at $3.2 billion last year, according to American Gaming Association figures.
Man serving life called ‘likely innocent,’ ordered freed
PHILADELPHIA >> A man sentenced to life in prison a quarter-century ago has been ordered freed from prison after the Philadelphia prosecutor’s office told the court last month that he was “likely innocent” of the murder for which he was convicted.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Common Pleas Court Judge Gwendolyn Bright on Monday ordered the release of 48-year-old Chester Hollman III from state prison in Luzerne County, with formal dismissal of all charges expected later this month. Defense attorney Alan Tauber called it “a glorious day.”
Hollman was convicted of a 1991 killing near Philadelphia’s tony Rittenhouse Square. Prosecutors said authorities had failed to disclose evidence that pointed to other suspects. A key witness testified in 2012 that she gave false testimony after she alleged police pressured her to incriminate Hollman.