Lewd Texts To Child Get Attorney Suspended

An attorney convicted on a no contest plea to misdemeanor Corruption of Minors has consented to a three-year suspension by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

The Times-Tribune reported

A local attorney is facing charges after investigators say he sent lewd, suggestive texts to the teenage child of a client. Jeffrey Toman, 33, 1515 Pittston Ave., Scranton, turned himself in at police headquarters Wednesday, according to police. Mr. Toman is charged with three felonies related to sending obscene and sexual content to a minor, plus a misdemeanor charge of corruption of minors.

The 14-year-old told investigators during an interview that Mr. Toman started sending the texts last summer. Mr. Toman first started to ask the child personal questions of a sexual nature, like if the child was a virgin, and as time went on, he began asking for photos of the child in underwear and also sent pictures of his genitals, according to court documents.

The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual crimes.

The teen also said Mr. Toman would ask if he could come over to the juvenile’s house when no one else was home, according to charging papers. The teen said the texting ended because the child was afraid of getting in trouble.

City detectives started investigating the texts last month and spoke to the child’s mother.

The woman showed texts to Detective Jeffrey Gilroy where Mr. Toman asks her not to turn him into the police and ruin his life and that he would be seeking psychological help, according to court documents.

A call to Mr. Toman’s office number Tuesday afternoon went unanswered and a message requesting comment was not returned.

Mr. Toman was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Theodore Giglio on Wednesday and released on $100,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 20.

The same source reported that he was sentenced to a term of imprisonment. (Mike Frisch)