A Schuylkill County deputy sheriff retired Thursday as state police investigate an online conversation he had with a 16-year-old boy.

County Sheriff Joseph G. Groody confirmed Thursday that Dennis Kane, who is also mayor of Ashland, retired after 30 years as a deputy."He's been talking all year about retiring," Groody said.Groody said he was aware of allegations against Kane regarding inappropriate Facebook messages with the teenager and after conducting an initial interview, he immediately turned the investigation over to state police at Frackville."I immediately went to the Frackville State Police because of the major conflict of interest," Groody said.Groody said he was not sure if Kane's retirement was due to the allegations.State Trooper Melissa Kyper at Frackville said further details are unavailable since the investigation remains ongoing, but no charges have been filed as of Thursday. The identity of the woman who filed the complaint was also not revealed. Kyper also would not say when the investigation started, but hopes to make a decision on charges within a few weeks.Newly-elected District Attorney Christine A. Holman said she was concerned that the situation was intentionally kept quiet when rumors started circulating Thursday."It doesn't reflect good on anyone when things like this happen," she said. "Regardless of friendships or association, these things need to be brought to light.""I guess we just have to wait and see after they complete the investigation," Holman said.Kane could not be reached for comment Thursday.Distributed by MCT Information Services