District Attorney Arrested for Multiple Sexual Assault Charges



ATTORNEY GENERAL PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEO BELOW

District Attorney Chad Salsman of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, has been arrested for more than a dozen sexual assault charges
Chad Salsman

D.A. Arrested for 15 Criminal Charges

(PA) – Chad Michael Salsman, Bradford County District Attorney, has been arrested on 15 criminal charges, with eight of them being related to sexual assault crimes, and with the possibility of more charges to come. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro held a news conference to announce the arrest of Mr. Salsman and to explain what brought on the charges.

Victims testified to a Grand Jury that over a period of multiple years, while Salsman was still a defense attorney, he pressured the women to have sex with him in his office. At least one of the five women who testified was assaulted after Salsman won his position as the District Attorney, but before he took office. The women involved are extremely vulnerable to predators due to their circumstances (something we have written a little about before). A.G. Shapiro, as quoted by Philadelphia CBS Local, said,

“Chad Salsman would regularly use his position and power as an attorney to coerce his victims into performing sexual acts on him. He would bring them into his private office, under the guise of discussing their case, and used his knowledge of his clients’ vulnerabilities to negate their consent and sexually assault them,” Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. “Salsman picked these victims because they didn’t have any other choice, because he thought they would be easy to silence, and less likely to be believed if they ever came forward. As Attorney General, I have a responsibility to stand up for people who need a voice in our Commonwealth.”

One victim claimed that “Salsman allegedly ‘threatened to ruin her life’ if she told anyone.”

D.A. Salsman Says It’s a Witch Hunt

According to A.G. Shapiro, in the press conference, D.A. Salsman is already making noises about it being a witch hunt and the arrest being political, but the Attorney General made sure to have plenty of witnesses. The five women who testified before the Grand Jury did not know each other. They were independent witnesses. They also gave very similar accounts of what was done to them, including being told to clean up after Salsman was finished with them. A.G. Shapiro also has testimony from Salsman’s office staff. They testified to repeatedly seeing women run out of Salsman’s office in tears.

Salsman was aware that he was being investigated and that his staff was being called to testify in front of a Grand Jury. According to WENY News, “During the investigation, Salsman allegedly called a former staffer to his office and demanded she report any information she learned during her appearance before the Grand Jury.” Salsman would be well-aware that Grand Jury testimony is confidential. His demand for her to keep him informed is probably what added the obstruction charge.

Charges Against District Attorney

The exact charges that were filed against Chad Salsman are “Three counts of Sexual Assault, Five counts of Indecent Assault, Five counts of Witness Intimidation, One count of Obstruction of Administration of Law or Other Governmental Function, One count of Promoting Prostitution.”  There were more than five women who spoke to A.G. Shapiro, but the others were beyond the statute of limitations. However, A.G. Shapiro is sure there are even more women out there who have been assaulted by Salsman, and in his press conference, he encouraged them to come forward, said that they would be taken seriously, he would have their backs and would believe their truths. A.G. Shapiro is more than likely right and there probably will be more charges against Salsman.

At the time of the press conference Chad Salsman was being booked into the Pennsylvania State Police Barracks and had a bail bond of $500,000. He, his attorney, or a bail bond company will have to post 10% of that amount, $50,000, for Salsman to get out of jail. I’m sure it won’t be a problem for him.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *