Former Philadelphia police officer Patrick Heron, 52, has been charged with an additional 233 counts in the case where he is accused of sexually abusing young girls and women, as well as threatening witnesses. 

 

Since the initial charges were filed against Heron, the district attorney's office has received 19 additional transcripts of further crimes he has committed. This time, the offenses date back to his time as an officer from 2005 to 2017, shared Lyandra Retacco, Chief of Investigations, at a press conference on Tuesday, June 27.

 

District attorney's office officials spoke at a press conference on June 26, 2023. The initial case against Heron involved over a dozen charges related to "illegal sexual contact with minors, illegal and inappropriate sexual photography with minors, retaliation and harassment against victims and witnesses, both adults and minors," previously stated Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner.

 

Krasner was not present at the June 26 press conference. All the initial accusations against Heron occurred after his retirement from the police department in 2019. The new evidence received by investigators points to multiple crimes committed while he was still an active-duty officer. Retacco also mentioned that Heron's bail, set at $2 million in September 2022, has been revoked.

 

"There are few crimes more corrosive to public safety and community trust in institutions than intimidation, harassment, and retaliation against witnesses," Krasner said in a previous press release. "The charges against former officer Patrick Heron are among the most alarming, delicate, and serious that the detectives and prosecutors in my administration have investigated."

 

Retacco said that the new information they were able to gather in the investigation leading to the new charges was thanks to all the individuals who came forward since they initially requested media to share Heron's photo and for people to provide information. The hotline number for the Special Investigations Unit remains open, and they are urging anyone with information or who is a victim of Heron to call their 24-hour hotline at 215-985-3333.

 

Lyandra Retacco shared a statement from the Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence, WOAR:

 

"This case is a very unfortunate reminder that sexual violence occurs in all environments, in all communities, and in all walks of life. That is why organizations like WOAR and its partners work tirelessly to reach out and educate," as reported by nbcphiladelphia.com.