Media, PA – District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer announced today that three members of the Upper Darby Police Department and one member of the Darby Borough Police Department have joined the Delaware County Child Abuse and Exploitation Task Force. The Task Force was created by DA Stollsteimer in September 2020 to ensure that all child abuse and child exploitation cases in Delaware County are handled consistently and thoroughly, by detectives, officers and attorneys with the specialized training and resources that such cases require. The officers were sworn in by the Honorable Kevin Kelly. The new Task Force members are: Sergeant Dan Oliveri, Detective Kevin Knapp, and Detective Tommy Thompson, all of the Upper Darby Police Department, and Officer Christopher Izzy from the Darby Borough Police Department.
The Task Force is comprised of Assistant District Attorneys from the District Attorney’s office, led by Chris Boggs, Chief of the Special Victims Unit, Sergeant Ken Bellis, the head of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), Sergeant Robin Clark, the lead detective from the Child Abuse Unit in the Criminal Investigative Division (CID), and officers from municipal police departments throughout the County who have a demonstrated track record with this type of work.
As Task Force members, the newly sworn Upper Darby officers may collaborate on cases from anywhere in the County; however, the officers will also bring a concentration of dedication, training and skill to Upper Darby. “It is deeply unfortunate that the exploitation and abuse of children is an issue in every community in the County, including Upper Darby. We are grateful for the focus that the District Attorney has brought to this intractable problem,” said Upper Darby Mayor Barbarann Keffer, “and we appreciate the willingness of these officers to do this incredibly difficult work.”.
“The Upper Darby police officers sworn in to the Task Force today have a demonstrated skill and dedication to protecting children,” said Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt. He continued, “these officers welcome the opportunity to collaborate and train with experts from around the County to ensure that our department does everything we can to ensure the safety of our children.”
The members of the Task Force have participated in an initial introductory training conducted by Crystal Gray, Hannah Fitzgerald, and Jovanni Velez, all from the Child Advocacy Center, Sergeant Bellis of ICAC, Assistant District Attorneys Chris Boggs and Kristen Kemp, Josephine Parker from CYS, and Candice Linehan, Assistant Director of WAR. The Task Force meets monthly, with a focus on training and collaboration.
Also sworn in by Judge Kelly was new Assistant District Attorney Catherine Cuff, a 2020 graduate of the Temple University Beasley School of Law.
Contact: Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, Margie McAboy, Public Information Officer, 610.579.0429