ESU Police Officer Charged with Child Sex Crimes

An East Stroudsburg University police officer is being held without bail on child sex charges.

Joseph P. Gallagher Jr., 40, of East Stroudsburg, was charged Monday by Stroud Area Regional Police with 22 counts, according to court records. The most serious, all first-degree felonies, are rape of a child, two counts of aggravated indecent assault of a child, and four counts of unlawful contact with a minor. The remaining counts include corruption of minors, endangering the welfare of children, and indecent assault. According to the criminal affidavit, as reported by 28/22 News, the charges involve two children who were 10 and 4 years old at the time, with alleged assaults in 2021 and again this year.

Magisterial District Judge Donald A. Johnson denied bail Monday night, finding that no conditions of bail could assure community safety. Gallagher is being held at the Monroe County Correctional Facility. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 1.

Gallagher is listed as an officer in ESU's University Police staff directory. In a statement to 28/22 News, a university spokesperson said the allegations are unrelated to his employment with the university and that he was placed on leave once ESU learned of the investigation.

Gallagher is presumed innocent until proven guilty. We will follow the case through the preliminary hearing.