A chaplain at the Harford County Detention Center was fired after being indicted by a grand jury on charges of second-degree assault, fourth-degree sex offense and misconduct in office, according to police.
Reverend Kennis Andrew Rolle, Sr., 59, was suspended by the Harford County Sheriff's Office on March 8 after allegations of inappropriate conduct were made against him.
During an investigation, detectives identified two female victims, ages 31 and 26, who alleged that Rolle touched them during scheduled and unscheduled counseling sessions in the chaplain’s office.
"It was fourth degree sex offenses and assault,” said Major William Davis of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, “I can't really get into a whole lot of exactly what happened, but it was touching and conversations."
This touching, according to police, included unwanted and unwelcomed hugs, kisses on the forehead and cheek, playing with hair and touching the buttocks on the outside of their clothing.
The inappropriate contact between Rolle and the detainees at the detention center allegedly took place during the fall of 2014, and again between December 2015 and February 2016.
Police said Rolle resides in Middle River and has been working as a chaplain with the Harford County Sheriff's Office since September 17, 2012.
“He was a trusted employee of the Sheriff's Office and obviously the sheriff takes these things very seriously and is very worried and disappointed about the allegations and that's why he was suspended from his duties immediately upon the allegations and then the investigation took place," Davis said.
A statement from the sheriff was included in a news release Thursday.
"We hold all agency members to the highest level of integrity,” Sheriff Jeff Gahler said in the release. “I am deeply disappointed that someone who has been put in a position of confidence to assist people during vulnerable points of their lives, has violated that trust. This type of behavior will not be tolerated in this agency."
Rolle has denied the allegations.
"I see all of them go to church every Sunday. Sometimes they have their family here,” A neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, told ABC2 News. "It doesn't seem to me that he's a person that I would ever even imagine that could happen."
Rolle turned himself into the Harford County Detention Center without incident Wednesday and was released on a $50,000 bond.
Anyone with information on this case, or who feels they may have been a victim, is encouraged to call Det. Christopher Maddox of the Harford County Sheriff's Office, Criminal Investigations Division at 443-409-3551.
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