The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General has charged 68-year-old Peter J. Benedict Jr., a retired Beaver County Police Department officer, with multiple felonies for possessing child sexual abuse material. According to an official press release, Benedict was charged by the Office of Attorney General’s Child Predator Section on July 23, 2025, with 11 counts of possessing child sexual abuse material and one count of criminal use of a communication service.
The investigation into Benedict’s activities began on June 6, 2025, when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children filed a cybertip alleging unlawful information on a computer connected to his residence. Just days ago, on July 22, investigators executed a search warrant. According to the AG’s office, agents discovered electronic devices holding at least 11 files with apparent child sexual assault evidence. “This is unacceptable, lewd, criminal behavior for any member of society—let alone someone who took a sworn oath to protect his community as a law enforcement officer,” Attorney General Dave Sunday stated in the release.
When authorities first knocked on Benedict’s house, his wife informed them he was “running errands,” and following phone calls to her husband, she gave them access to the family computer. When Benedict returned, he was notified about the search warrant and shown a sample photograph from the cybertip. He reportedly said, “Arrest me right now,” stressing that the photographs “appear when you click on them” and “don’t really seem bad.”
Residents of Benedict’s peaceful Beaver County community express surprise at the charges. “I heard sirens early in the morning and saw state police SUVs lining the street,” said neighbor Emily Carter, whose front yard sits across from Benedict’s previous residence. “It didn’t seem likely that a former school resource officer would be involved in something like this. It is heartbreaking. Carter’s reaction highlights the community’s sense of betrayal. Benedict retired in 2023 after working as a school resource officer from 2022 to 2023, although authorities insist that the alleged crimes did not occur during his time in law enforcement.
As the case progresses to Beaver County Court, Deputy Attorney General Alison Bragle will prosecute it. Benedict is presumed innocent unless proven guilty, and the investigation is still underway. For more information, contact the Office of Attorney General’s Child Predator Section at 800-385-1044.
