A retired police officer has been arrested on sex assault
charges for a relationship he allegedly had with an underage girl.
Walter Sasse, 75, a 20-year Philadelphia police veteran most
recently assigned to the mounted unit, was charged with nine crimes including
unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of minors, sexual assault and
indecent exposure. He was arrested last night and freed today after posting 10
percent of $50,000 bail. A preliminary hearing was set for March 25.
Court records show the alleged assault occurred on June 1,
2011. But a police source said the charges stem from a long-term relationship
that started when the girl, who he allegedly met at a horse stable, was 15. A
police spokeswoman said she had no details and referred questions to the
special-victims unit; a supervisor there has declined to release details.
After his retirement, Sasse managed Courtesy Stable in
Fairmount Park. According to an online biography, Sasse is a U.S. Army veteran who worked in Philly's
mounted police for 18 years and has ridden with its show and drill tea