Alleged Sex Scandal At AC Fire Station
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - Officials in Atlantic City are investigating an alleged sex scandal involving three firefighters.
A source tells Fox 29 News that a mother of a teenage girl found a cell phone picture of her daughter wearing firefighter turnout gear. She called authorities and that's what sparked the investigation. It has not been revealed whether the girl was completely dressed in the photo or what she was doing.
There are lot of rumors swirling, but, at this point, no charges have been filed. That's why public officials are hesitant to say much - except they are outraged that firefighters at Fire Station 2 may have been involved with underage girls.
"Something happened here, we know something happened here," says Gordon Sunkett of National Action Network.
Monday, community activists stood outside Atlantic City's Fire Station 2, demanding answers. They're angry that firefighters are still on the job and have not been suspended while police and the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office investigate allegations of sexual misconduct. They're calling for the Attorney General's Office to step in.
"There's been incidents of some type of sexual misconduct that was done to juveniles at this point," says Steve Young of National Action Network. "We know from past practices and other cities that if there's an issue where someone accused of doing these type of acts, they're immediately suspended pending investigation."
A source says two girls, between the ages of 14 and 16, and a 19-year-old girl were involved in some type of sexual scandal with three firefighters in mid-May.
The 19-year-old identified to investigators the firefighters who she says were involved, the source tells Fox 29.
On Friday, Mayor Lorenzo Langford said he was outraged and appalled, but would not go into detail.
"If I thought that we didn't have something more than just a rumor, I wouldn't have called you here," Langford told reporters at a press conference. "We will continue to vigorously investigate these matters, and I can assure you that if they are substantiated, heads are gonna roll. These are some very very serious allegations."
The activists are working with the girls' families. They say the alleged incident happened in the firehouse while the firefighters were on-duty.
Fire Station 2 is right across the street from Viking Academy, the city's alternative high school. Activists won't say whether the girls were from the high school, but they are upset the incident allegedly happened in May and no one found out about it until June when one of the victims came forward.
"Someone knows, in addition to the victims and alleged perpetrators what happened that night, and we're encouraging those firemen that was on duty that night to come forward," says Sunkett.
The activists went on to say that "fire stations should be safe havens, not brothels."
City officials won't comment except to say that investigators need time to do their jobs.
