Two weeks after he suddenly tendered his resignation, a former Pennsylvania mayor has been arrested on a host of child sex offenses.
Former Gettysburg Borough Mayor Chad-Alan Carr has been arrested by the Pennsylvania State Police on two felony counts of photograph/film/depict on computer sex acts involving a child and one misdemeanor count of corruption of minors.
The charges stem from allegations dating back more than a decade, when the alleged victim was a high school student.
Police alleged that Carr, 48, exchanged sexually explicit messages with the victim, whom he also exploited during several Skype calls.
Carr turned himself in to authorities early on Friday, March 13. He has a preliminary hearing in his case scheduled for March 20.
Based on online records, it appears Carr remains in custody on $100,000 bail.
Carr stepped down as mayor earlier this month, just weeks into his first term. At the time, he described having to deal with a personal matter that he said unrelated to the borough.
Local news reports indicate Carr volunteered with multiple local community and school organizations and that he met his alleged victim while working on a local theatre production.
State police started investigating the disgraced mayor after receiving a tip on February 26.
They’ve learned the criminal Skype conversations began in 2012 or 2013, when the victim was 16 or 17. According to investigators, the chats turned to the sharing of explicit images and videos.
The Evening Sun reports Carr allegedly told his campaign manager about the allegations over the phone and admitted to sharing inappropriate messages with the victim.
Adams County District Attorney Brian Sinnett said Friday he’s not aware of any illegal, physical contact in this case. He added that other individuals have made similar claims against Carr that are still being investigated.
Carr is a former borough council member who defeated incumbent Mayor Rita Frealing in the 2025 Democratic mayoral primary election by just 43 votes. Frealing received enough write-in votes in the uncontested Republican primary to face Carr in the November general election. He won by 185 votes.
Carr’s resignation was accepted by borough officials, and Frealing has expressed interest in taking his place.
It was unclear if Carr had an attorney Monday, March 16.
State Police would like to speak to anyone with information pertinent to the investigation. Call the State Police barracks in Gettysburg at (717) 334-8111 or PSP Tips at (800) 472-8477.
If you know of a young person who is being exploited or is the victim of a crime, you are urged to report it to your local FBI field office by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI. Tips can also be left at tips.fbi.gov
