Background checks are critical in any line of work, especially among law enforcement agencies when hiring new officers.

The subject of police background checks has been thrust to the forefront this week after Weissport police Chief Brent Getz and another man were charged with raping a child back in 2005.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro on Wednesday announced the arrests of Getz, 27, of Lehighton, and Gregory Edward Wagner Jr., 28, of Lehighton.

Both were charged on Tuesday with rape of child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, aggravated indecent assault of child, and several related charges.

Police history

Ironically, Getz was unanimously promoted to Weissport police chief by borough council last month.

Efforts to reach Weissport officials for comment in time for today’s publication were unsuccessful.

However, Palmerton police Chief Randy Smith said Getz worked for his department as a part-time police officer about six months to a year ago.

“And we let him go,” Smith said, declining to state why Getz was let go from the Palmerton Police Department.

“When he was hired here, a criminal-background check was done, checked references that was on his application, called other police departments he worked with.”

Smith noted that Getz also worked for Franklin, West Penn Township and Tamaqua.

Tamaqua police Chief Henry Woods also spoke about Getz.

“As for officer Getz, there was nothing to find in his particular case as his name apparently didn’t come up until recently,” he said.

Though the investigation began in May 2012 when the victim, then 12 years old, reported to a substitute teacher that Gregory Wagner, then 22, was sexually assaulting her, Getz wasn’t mentioned until last summer.

In 2012, the teacher reported the offense to the Franklin Township Police Department. After an investigation, no charges were filed.

On Friday morning, Franklin Township police Chief Jason Doll referred all questions to the Attorney General’s office.

In 2015, the case was reassigned and police prepared a criminal complaint charging Wagner with various crimes. The complaint was dismissed by the magisterial district judge due to a paperwork error. The charges were never refiled.

It was in August 2018 that a Franklin Township police officer revisited the case and asked the victim to come back in for an interview. At this time, the victim also disclosed that Getz, who was Wagner’s friend, had sexually assaulted her, too.

Background checks

Police said background checks for officers are extensive.

Woods said that “the background check process for hiring a police officer differs a lot from that for a child care worker.”

“When I volunteered as a coach for the Tamaqua Area School District, I had to undergo a Megan’s Law screening and an FBI background check,” Woods said.

“For police officers here in Tamaqua, we check their criminal history and driving record, then interview former employers and the references they provide. That’s for a part-time officer. If you’re being considered for a full-time position, we also do a credit check.”

Woods said that when the Pennsylvania State Police are conducting an investigation into a claim about an officer, they contact his or her current chief and let them know there is an investigation, no details, just that they are looking into a claim.

Lansford Police Chief Jack Soberick said small departments usually don’t have the resources and have to hire a private investigator to conduct background checks. Lansford Police Department has a retired state and federal investigator who helps conduct background checks.

“We do everything we can possibly do in tracking down people’s past history. The easiest way to do it is the social media,” Soberick said.

Applicants to Lansford Police Department are interviewed by the police chief and mayor. They must sign a waiver allowing the department to look into their employment background, court records and even credit history.

They must submit to a polygraph test, regardless of whether they’re seeking part-time or full-time employment. During polygraph testing, applicants are asked whether they are or have been the subject of a police investigation. Soberick said the polygraph has been an effective tool in screening applicants, and in a few cases they have even made reports to other departments based on information which an applicant shared.

“We’ve lost more applicants than we’ve had pass,” Soberick said. “We’re pretty discriminatory.”

Jim Thorpe police Chief Joe Schatz explained the department’s requirements for background checks.

“The Jim Thorpe Police Department is tasked with conducting background checks on all police applicants here in the borough of Jim Thorpe,” Schatz said. “Per department policy the Jim Thorpe Police Department has established steps/guidelines to evaluate several outlined qualities of the candidates in order to determine the best qualified to perform law enforcement duties.”

Slatington Borough police Chief Dave Rachman said it’s all contingent on successfully passing their background investigation.

He said they require officers to get a physical, psychological and drug screening, and numerous documentations as far as their training, driving history, all past employment and character references.

In Palmerton, Smith said the information new officers need to provide in Palmerton includes their driver’s license, proof of their qualifications, grades from their respective academies, the process of being hired and how long they’ve been an officer.

Investigation years in the making

The case against Getz and Wagner resurfaced because the girl sent a video to a relative. Wagner had his computer tablet and was showing pornography to the victim, so she took a video of it to prove what Wagner was doing. The relative kept the video and forwarded it to police last August.

Agents executed a search warrant of Wagner’s residence on Tuesday and located numerous electronic devices, including his cellphone, which contained Google searches of terms which are indicative of child pornography.

Wagner was interviewed and admitted to sexually abusing the victim over the course of several years. He also admitted that Getz sexually abused the victim and that they would do so together.

The victim revealed that, consistent with her prior disclosures and examinations, from age 4-11 she was sexually assaulted by Wagner. She reported that Getz would also join in these assaults. Additionally, she said that Wagner often made her watch pornography with him, which she recalled depicted teenagers.

“The defendants terrorized this young victim by assaulting her hundreds of times over seven years,” Shapiro said. “My office will listen to survivors and prosecute anyone who sexually abuses children to the fullest extent of the law we are able — no matter how much time has passed. I’m grateful for the work of my agents to bring these predators to justice and prevent them from harming anyone else.”

Getz’s case was referred to the Office of Attorney General by Carbon County District Attorney Jean Engler, because Getz was a police officer employed or formerly employed at several police departments in Carbon County. Wagner’s case was also referred to the Office of Attorney General, and is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Rebecca Elo.

Both Getz and Wagner are currently lodged in the Carbon County Correctional Facility in lieu of $250,000 straight bail, and are scheduled to have a preliminary hearing Wednesday before District Judge William Kissner of Palmerton.

Jarrad Hedes, Chris Reber and Kathy Kunkel contributed to this article.