Ex-Warminster Officer To Face Trial On Child Sex Abuse Charges

WARMINSTER, PA — Former Warminster Township police officer James Carey will face trial for more than 100 charges connected to the alleged sexual abuse of five teenage boys between 1989 and 2009.

Carey, 53, is accused of sexually assaulting the teenage boys while working as a DA.R.E. officer and running a program for troubled youth at the township’s recreation center more than two decades ago, the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office said.

Carey, who is currently being held in Bucks County prison on $250,000 cash bail, faces 136 total counts, including charges of Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse, Statutory Sexual Assault, Aggravated Indecent Assault, Indecent Assault, Unlawful Contact with a Minor, Corruption of Minors, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and Official Oppression.

During a four-hour preliminary hearing on Monday, Magisterial District Judge Daniel J. Finello Jr. heard testimony from seven witnesses, including four of the victims and two Bucks County detectives, and ruled a prima facie case was established. Carey has a formal arraignment scheduled for Aug. 13.

“Now that we’ve successfully gotten the charges against Carey held for trial, his victims are one step closer to getting the justice they deserve," District Attorney Matthew Weintraub said. "And they will get justice.”

Carey was arrested on April 7 following a lengthy investigation by Bucks County Detectives and an inquiry by a Bucks County Investigating Grand Jury, that found Carey sexually assaulted four boys between 1989 and 2009. In May, he was charged with the sexual assault of a fifth victim.

The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office has said it strongly believes there are more victims in this case and ask anyone with information to contact Bucks County Detectives at 215-340-8216 or 215-348-6504.

In presenting the case Monday, First Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Schorn and Assistant District Attorney Brittney Kern showed how Carey used his position as a uniformed officer assigned to the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program to take advantage of victims who were already facing challenges in their lives.

The victims, now in their 30s and 40s, testified to repeated abuse by Carey. Most of the assaults happened while Carey was in uniform, the victims testified. One of the victims testified he was court-ordered to perform community service, and Carey took on the role of supervising his community service hours, which led to Carey sexually assaulting him several times. Carey would then sign off on his community service paperwork, he testified.

Many of the victims testified the horrors they endured as teens led to troubled lives as adults.

“When you are that young and something like that happens, the self-value of yourself isn’t very high,” one victim testified. “It destroyed my life.”

Carey was a police officer for Warminster Township from 1989 - 2009, and previously and briefly worked for the North Wales Police Department in Montgomery County (June 1988 - Aug. 1988) and the Warwick Township Police Department (July 1988 - May 1989).

The case was investigated by Bucks County Detectives and is being prosecuted by First Assistant District Attorney Jennifer M. Schorn and Assistant District Attorney Brittney Kern.