PA Firefighter Accused of Station Sex Assault

A Bensalem firefighter is accused of sexually assaulting a woman earlier this year in the firehouse where he was a volunteer.

Bensalem police also allege they found images of unidentified children engaged in sexual conduct on a cellphone belonging to Paul Delp III, 20, during the assault investigation, according to court documents.

The alleged assault occurred in August when a woman reported that she met Delp at the Trevose Fire House in the 4900 block of East Street Road, according to a probable cause affidavit.

There was no one else at the station, police said, and Delp and the woman allegedly went to a second-floor area, which includes a kitchen and living room area.

The woman alleges Delp held her down on a couch, covered her mouth, and sexually assaulted her after she told him to stop, according to court documents.

The woman told police she immediately called a friend after the assault and reported what happened. The woman also contacted police and underwent a forensic sexual assault exam at a local hospital, police said. The hospital noted the woman had bruising to her wrist, according to the affidavit.

At the time of the alleged assault Delp was a volunteer firefighter for the company, Trevose Fire Co. Chief Edward Frydlewicz confirmed, but he has since been suspended pending termination.

Bensalem police obtained Bucks County District Attorney authorization to initiate contact with Delp using the alleged victim's cellphone; an officer posed as the alleged victim and contacted Delp via text message, according to the affidavit.

Police allege Delp asked the woman in that text message conversation to recant her sexual assault allegations against him, and suggested she tell her mother that she only went to the firehouse to use the bathroom, police said.

When police interviewed Delp, he allegedly admitted going "a little too far during the sexual encounter" at the firehouse, and also admitted recording his conversations with the victim on his cellphone.

Bensalem police allege the child pornography was found on Delp's cellphone after he consented to allowing police to review and extract data from it. During the forensic review of the phone, 20 images of child pornography were found in the phone memory. The sexual images include some involving children that appear to be under the age of 5.

Delp is schedule for an Oct. 30 preliminary hearing on felony sexual crime and child pornography charges. He is free after positing 10% of his $75,000 bail. His defense attorney, Tom Logan, declined comment when reached on Friday.

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