SCRANTON, Pa. -- A former police officer pleaded guilty in federal court in Scranton for forcing women to have sex with him.
Mark Icker admitted he forced himself on two women while on the job last year.
Icker is now guilty of two federal felony counts after admitting he used his position as a police officer to intimidate two women into performing sex acts on him.
Entering into a plea agreement at the federal courthouse in Scranton, Icker said on two occasions on December 3 and December 10 of 2018, he forced himself on two women he had pulled over while serving as an Ashley police officer.
Those two victims were in court to watch him admit what he did.
“It brought back the incident itself, it was hard to sit there and listen to it because what`s happened, but it was bittersweet to actually hear him admit to what he had done,” said one woman.
“I knew the truth. He knew the truth, but for everyone else to know finally that it did make me feel better, but just seeing him was breaking me because he ruined me,” said the other.
Icker also admitted to misdemeanor charges for inappropriately touching or trying to coerce three women to give him sex in exchange for not filing charges against them.
That happened in both Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties, between June and November of last year.
The U.S. Attorney’s office held a news conference shortly after the plea.
“Under the cloak of authority, Icker in uniform, in a patrol car, with a firearm and handcuffs forced these women to bend to his will,” said U.S. Attorney David Freed.
Icker had been facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000.
Now prosecutors are recommending 12 years behind bars.
Icker's victims are grateful to investigators for getting them through this.
“It made me feel special that they took the time to actually believe me and prove that what I was saying was true.”
A sentencing date for Mark Icker has not been set at this time.