By Eddie Pells, The Associated Press

A former Allentown police officer accused of rape and sex trafficking was recently fired from his job as an investigator with the US Center for SafeSport.

According to the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office, Jason Krasley, a former deputy with the department, was arrested Friday and charged with aggravated rape and involuntary sexual servitude.

Evan Weaver, a current Allentown police officer, was also charged with the same crimes and placed on administrative leave.

Krasley left the department in 2021 and worked for SafeSport Center, which fired him in November shortly after learning he was being charged in a separate case for his role in a drug raid he helped carry out while on assignment , allegedly stole $5,500.

The new arrest again raises questions about how Krasley managed to maneuver his way through a rigorous vetting process that center officials say is used to hire people tasked with uncovering sensitive information about sexual abuse cases.

The Denver center was founded in 2017 to handle cases of sexual abuse in Olympic sports from elite to grassroots. At the end of last year, the investigative team numbered 36 people; To fill some of these positions, police forces have been approached, with some investigators working on similar cases.

“I am appalled that a former employee has been accused of such heinous acts in his previous role as a police officer,” SafeSport CEO Ju’Riese Colon said in an emailed statement to The Associated Press. “We hold all employees to the highest standards because protecting athletes is our top priority.”

The AP has learned of two cases Krasley was involved in – one of which was assigned to another investigator after his arrest on theft charges. In the other case, the plaintiff asked whether her case could be reopened after the arrest and was told in an email by a SafeSport employee that “these matters are already being reviewed before the inquiries and media attention.” .

Colon said the center commissioned a third-party review of the cases Krasley handled.

“We are working with subject matter experts to determine what additional actions should be taken in light of the new allegations,” she said.

Krasley is additionally charged with felony kidnapping, involuntary sexual intercourse and intimidation of a witness, and criminal coercion.

Krasley and Weaver have both posted bail in the rape and sex trafficking case.

Krasley, 47, is also named in a whistleblower lawsuit filed last year by two Allentown officers who alleged widespread misconduct in the department.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the correct first name of the Allentown police sergeant who was placed on administrative leave after being charged in the rape and sex trafficking case. In an earlier version of the story, his first name was incorrect.

Allentown police sergeant and former deputy charged with rape

Originally published: January 12, 2025 at 7:55 pm EST