Jason Krasley, a former police officer and investigator for the US Center for SafeSport, has been arrested on charges of felony rape and involuntary sexual servitude stemming from alleged crimes committed during his time on the Allentown, Pennsylvania police force, The Associated Press reports.
The arrest comes just months after Krasley was fired from SafeSport for allegedly stealing money from a drug bust.
According to a news release from the district attorney’s office, Krasley is accused of committing these crimes between 2011 and 2015, while he was an officer with the Allentown Police Department. He faces additional charges including felony kidnapping, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, intimidation of a witness, and misdemeanor criminal coercion.
Krasley’s past has cast a shadow over SafeSport, an organization established in 2017 to investigate sex abuse cases in Olympic and amateur sports. He was hired by the Denver-based center in 2021, after leaving the police force, but was terminated last year after his arrest for allegedly stealing $5,500 seized during a drug operation he participated in.
This latest arrest has raised serious questions about the vetting process employed by SafeSport when hiring investigators, particularly those tasked with handling sensitive sex abuse cases. The center has relied on tapping into police forces for experienced detectives, raising concerns about their hiring practices.
“I am appalled that a former staff member has been accused of such heinous acts in his previous role as a police officer,” SafeSport CEO Ju’Riese Colon said in a statement to The Associated Press. “We hold all staff to the highest standard because safeguarding athletes is our utmost priority.”
The news agency has learned that Krasley handled at least two cases during his time at SafeSport, and that at least one of those has been assigned to another investigator after the first arrest. In another case, a claimant requested their case be reopened after learning of Krasley’s arrest. They were informed by SafeSport that those cases were being reviewed prior to her request and media attention.
Colon said that the center has commissioned a third-party audit of all cases handled by Krasley and is “working with subject matter experts to determine what additional actions should be taken in light of the new allegations.”
Adding another layer to the scandal, Krasley is also named in a whistleblower lawsuit filed last year by two Allentown officers who allege widespread misconduct within the department.
Also arrested and charged with felony rape and involuntary sexual servitude on Friday was another Allentown police officer, Kevin Weaver, who has been placed on administrative leave.
