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Phillipsburg Police officer William Lance, 50, was arrested Tuesday after a social media post made by a resident stated, "Officer Lance is A PERV” and asked viewers to "share" their "stories" "if [they] have one,” Warren County Prosecutor James L. Pfeiffer said in a Wednesday release.
A follow-up investigation into the source of the post led to charges for fourth-degree criminal sexual contact and second-degree official misconduct, Pfeiffer said.
Lance is accused of calling the female victim — then 20 — over to his patrol car at Wawa before he “exposed his erect penis and he grabbed her arm and placed her hand on his penis” in August 2019, court records state.
Lance then told the woman, “You better not f***** tell anyone,” the records say.
The alleged crime was corroborated by an account from the woman’s mother as well as a witness who was in the victim’s car at the time.
Lance has been a member of the Phillipsburg Police Department for nearly 20 years and has participated in numerous martial arts training seminars with children, according to LehighValleyLive.
Second Degree offenses are punishable by up to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison with official misconduct carrying a mandatory five-year period of parole ineligibility. Fourth-degree offenses are punishable by up to 18 months in state prison.
Lance was being held at Somerset County Correctional Center pending an initial court appearance.
The Phillipsburg Police Department assisted with the investigation, Pfeiffer said.
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