Springfield Twp. firefighter accused of raping Struthers woman on Tinder date
A Springfield Township firefighter has been arrested and charged with felony rape.
A Springfield Township firefighter has been arrested and charged with felony rape.
So what led up to the investigation and anti-stalking protection order by the alleged victim?
Springfield Township Firefighter Brian Swansiger of New Middletown is out of jail on bond but is ordered to remain on electronically monitored house arrest and ordered to stay away from the alleged victim in this case.
He's accused of felony rape after meeting a 19-year-old woman on the dating app Tinder.
The young woman says Swansiger came over to her Morrison Street home to hang out on September 4th, and she told detectives she made it clear she did not want to have sex and Swansiger said that was fine.
Struthers detectives said two days later they were contacted by a nurse at the Mercy Health in Boardman.
Detective Dave Trolio, Struthers Police Department, said, "She revealed to them that she met this gentleman on a dating application called Tinder and invited him over to watch movies and from that point on things started to progress and she said no and he continued on."
The alleged victim saved a towel that the suspect used to wipe himself off with and Struthers police recovered it as evidence in the case.
Before the firefighter was arrested on a rape charge, he was made aware that the victim had gone to court and obtained an anti-stalking civil protection order against him from Mahoning County Court.
She told detectives she was concerned he would track her down at work or home so she blocked him from all social media and the dating app.
"The New Middletown Police Chief had him come out to the police department to discuss the circumstances surrounding the protection order at which time me and my partner took him into custody," Detective Trolio said.
Struthers police warn anyone using dating apps to meet in public first and get to know someone well before allowing them into your home. Be careful about what information you provide initially because you don't know the person's true intentions, and remember many of the apps can trace your locations because they have hard drives just like a small computer.
21 News reached out to the Springfield Township Fire Chief to check the status of Swansiger's position on the fire department in light of the criminal charge but did not receive a call back for comment.