The victim in former cop’s corruption of minor conviction files lawsuit in federal court
The victim of a former Connellsville police officer’s sexual misconduct has filed a federal lawsuit against him, the city and its police department.
On behalf of the now 20-year-old woman, attorney Donna J. McClelland claimed that officials in Connellsville should have known that the risk was high for Ryan T. Reese, 45, to engage in inappropriate sexual relationships with confidential informants.
McClelland indicated in the suit that Connellsville officials were put on notice in 2012 when Reese was suspended from the county’s drug task force for having sex with a confidential informant but did nothing to more closely supervise his contact with female informants in his capacity as a city officer. The now-defunct task force was a collective of municipal police officers who worked in conjunction with the state attorney general’s office, primarily to build drug cases.
Despite his suspension from the task force, Reese remained on the Connellsville police force, and in October 2013, went to the plaintiff’s mother’s home in Connellsville to conduct a drug bust, McClelland wrote. The plaintiff and her boyfriend were both there, and police found a shotgun and drug paraphernalia in the home, the suit indicated.
Following the bust, which occurred when the plaintiff was 15, Reese communicated with her about trying to “work off” potential criminal charges by acting as a confidential informant. After the plaintiff turned 16, McClelland alleged, Reese used her in that capacity without the permission of her parents and also told her that he would not charge her criminally if she had sexual contact with him.
The teen did so on more than one occasion, according to the suit, until her mother learned what was going on and took her daughter to the state police.
That led to Reese being charged criminally in 2015, four months after he resigned his post as an officer in Connellsville. A Fayette County jury in November 2016 convicted him of corruption of minors, but acquitted him of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse. Because the plaintiff is a victim in a case that involved sexual contact, she is not being named.
McClelland alleged that once Connellsville officials and police were made aware that Reese was suspended from the task force for inappropriate behavior, they should have guarded against him having unsupervised contact with any female informants.
The 12-count suit claimed multiple incidents where Reese and the plaintiff had intercourse, oral sex and times where Reese inappropriately touched her while patting her down before and after controlled purchases.
McClelland stated that the defendants, including former chief James Capitos and Officer Thomas Patton, did not have a written policy or provide training restricting the use of juveniles as confidential informants.
The suit states that as a result of the conduct and actions of the defendants, the plaintiff suffered and continues to suffer emotional distress, mental anguish, fear, terror, humiliation, pain, suffering and physical distress.
Reese was sentenced to serve 9 to 24 months on the corruption of minors conviction in the case, and has appealed the jury’s verdict to the state Superior Court. He remains free on bond pending the outcome of that appeal.
Two other criminal cases were also filed against Reese, both alleging that he used his position to coerce women facing charges to have sexual contact with him. One of those cases, also filed in Fayette County, ended with jurors convicting Reese of official oppression, but acquitting him of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault and sexual assault. He’s scheduled to be sentenced in that case next month.
He’s awaiting trial on rape and other charges in Westmoreland County.