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NANTICOKE — A police officer accused of forcing women into sex after traffic stops is back in jail after new charges were filed Friday alleging he sought oral sex from a woman as her boyfriend and children sat in her car nearby.
Mark Icker, 29, already faces charges in three cases alleged to have taken place while he was working as an officer in Ashley. The latest allegations state he was working as a Sugar Notch officer at the time of the Nov. 8 incident.
Speaking to the officer outside the car away from the others, the woman told investigators that she informed Icker she was taking her children to Chuck-E-Cheese’s when he pulled her over in the area of Hanover Street and New Commerce Boulevard.
Because others were present, Icker allegedly told the woman he would not charge her or tow the vehicle — despite an expired inspection and lapsed insurance — if she agreed to exchange phone numbers and meet him for sex at a later date.
Icker was arraigned Friday on charges of official oppression, coercion and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse. He was arraigned by District Judge Donald Whittaker in Nanticoke and jailed at the county correctional facility for lack of $250,000 bail.
The Times Leader does not identify alleged victims of sexual crimes.
Icker was released from jail Jan. 28 when he posted $200,000 bail on other similar cases, court records say.
He has been represented in previous proceedings by Carbondale attorney Bernard J. Brown, who was not present for Friday’s arraignment. Brown did not answer when called Friday afternoon and his voice mail box was full.
Luzerne County Det. Charles Balogh told Whittaker at the arraignment Brown was aware of the latest charges.
Icker was first arrested by county detectives on Dec. 20.
‘What could you do for me?’
According to the criminal complaint:
Detectives interviewed the woman Jan. 4 after she read news articles about Icker being arrested.
She claimed she was traveling with her boyfriend and three children on Hanover Street, Sugar Notch, on their way to Chuck E. Cheese’s in Wilkes-Barre Township. When she turned onto South Main Street, she was stopped by a Sugar Notch officer who identified himself as Mark Robinson.
She was told the reason for the traffic stop was she crossed over a white line at a stop sign at Hanover Street and New Commerce Boulevard.
After providing the required paperwork, the officer asked the woman to exit the vehicle to speak with him. The officer told the woman her insurance had lapsed, and it was up to him whether to allow her to drive away.
She alleged the officer asked her, “what could you do for me?”
When she responded she didn’t have money, the officer replied, “clearly you have no money,” the complaint says.
“What do you want from me?” she asked.
“You tell me what you can do for me,” he allegedly replied.
The woman told investigators she then realized the officer was referring to a sexual favor, the affidavit states.
The woman provided the officer her cell phone number and the officer immediately sent a text message, “Sugar Notch,” to find out she did not give him a bogus number. The woman’s boyfriend noticed the “Sugar Notch” text message on the woman’s cell phone.
She called her mother for a ride as the officer called for a tow truck.
No tow truck
As they waited for the mother and tow truck, the woman claimed the officer agreed not to tow her vehicle if she agreed to perform oral sex on him, the complaint says, adding that Icker suggested she go along with her plans at Chuck E. Cheese’s and meet him later that night.
When the woman’s mother arrived, she told her mother her vehicle was not going to be towed because the officer wanted her phone number for a date.
The woman did not meet Icker that night. She told investigators she sent Icker a topless picture to buy time, and later sent a second nude picture at Icker’s request to hold him over.
The affidavit did not specify when the images were sent.
Icker allegedly sent the woman a text message threatening to arrest her, and in another text message suggested she could bring her boyfriend and three children to the police station and leave them in the vehicle, so she could “take care” of him.
The woman later approached investigators after seeing news reports of similar accusations made against Icker by other women.
Mother, boyfriend interviewed
Detectives said they questioned the woman’s mother and tow truck driver to collaborate the woman’s claims.
Information from Luzerne County 911 indicated Icker was on duty as an officer for Sugar Notch on Nov. 8, and he reported the traffic stop at 7:33 p.m., and processed the woman’s driver’s license and vehicle information.
When Icker allowed the woman to leave, the boyfriend claimed she entered the vehicle crying saying the officer wanted her number to go out on a date and get some drinks. She also told the boyfriend the officer wanted her to contact him by midnight, and if she did not call, the officer was going to file citations.
The boyfriend told detectives he advised her not to call the officer.
She claimed she blocked Icker’s number but Icker kept harassing her using another cell phone, the complaint says.
Previous complaints
Court records list other allegations when Icker worked as an officer for Ashley:
• Dec. 9: A 33-year-old woman claimed she was stopped by Icker, and later drove her to a secluded park where he coerced her to perform a sex act.
• Dec. 2: A 21-year-old woman claimed she was stopped by Icker, and later drove her to the Ashley Police Department where he forced her to perform oral sex and he fondled her breasts.
• June 18: A 26-year-old woman reported she was stopped by Icker, who later drove her to her Mountain Top home where he pulled down her shirt to expose her breasts.