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SCRANTON — A man accused of sexually assaulting women while on-duty as a police officer in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties has pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday afternoon to violating his victims’ civil rights.
Mark Icker, 30, of Throop will face up to a dozen years behind bars after he pleaded guilty in front of United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion inside the William J. Nealon Federal Building and Courthouse to soliciting sexual favors from up to five women in exchange for him excusing the victims of minor offenses.
Icker willfully, and while acting under the color of the law, deprived two women of their liberties, which include bodily integrity, under the U.S. Constitution.
“During his time as a police officer, Icker used his position of power and public authority to unlawlfully seize, detain and coerce a number of female victims into providing him sexual gratification,” said U.S. Attorney David J. Freed in a press conference following Icker’s plea.
The plea was accepted as a global plea concerning both his federal and county charges, according to Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis. That means there will be no Luzerne County trial for Icker regarding the local charges that he faces.
“The actions of this former officer are in no way indicative of law enforcement in Luzerne County,” Salavantis said. “Many great men and women have died doing what is right while wearing the badge that Mr. Icker tarnished.”
Icker acknowledged that he committed the crimes alleged against him, and agreed to a plea deal that will have him facing 12 years in prison, pending a pre-sentence report. He could have been facing as much as 20 years behind bars and a $500,000 fine without the plea agreement.
The felony offenses committed against two women, identified as “R.V.” and “S.R.”, took place in back-to-back weeks in early December. According to the criminal information, Icker pulled over the victims on minor traffic violations, and on both occasions found paraphernalia in the victims’ vehicles.
He then solicited oral sex from the victims in exchange for ignoring the paraphernalia. According to the information brought up in federal court, he kept his loaded firearm on him during the acts, and kept the victims handcuffed throughout.
In addition to these two victims, the plea agreement also takes into account three other victims that lodged complaints against Icker.
One of the victims allegedly was groped by Icker, while another refused to give him oral sex and a third was touched inappropriately by Icker while he was on duty in Jessup.
Icker was terminated from his positions in Ashley, Jessup and Sugar Notch after his arrest. He will remain free on bail while waiting for his sentencing, but will be under house arrest, wearing two different ankle bracelets and must relinquish all of his privately owned firearms. Icker’s father, with whom Icker is currently living, also had to relinquish his firearms.
No sentencing date had been set on Tuesday, and Freed said it likely won’t be for a few months.
