In what some might say is the karmatic powers of the universe, a former Trevose firefighter was sentenced on Valentines Day to state prison for raping and assaulting a woman and possessing child pornography.

Paul Delp III of Trevose who pleaded *no contest to sexual assault and rape, pled guilty to 20 counts of having images of children performing sex related acts on his cell phone last summer will now spend at least three years and up to six in state prison as he was sentenced Monday by Judge Raymond F. McHugh.

Delp III pleaded out in August of 2021 to the child porn charges, but has been out on bail since his original arrest in the summer of 2019 in lieu of 10 percent of $75,000.00

According to police, he forced a woman to have vaginal intercourse  and perform oral sex with him on the second floor of a Trevose Fire Company station in August of 2019.

The victim, court documents say, told Delp III to stop, but he continued his the assault by pinning her down on a couch and holding her mouth so she couldn’t scream.

The woman told police she left the firehouse in tears and reported the alleged rape to a friend.

The victim also sought medical treatment for a forensic sexual assault exam in which she told medical personnel she was also bruised from the sexual assault.

Bensalem investigators sought and were approved for a “text takeover” posing as the victim during exchanges with Delp III.

Delp III, according to the probable cause affidavit, promised he would never do it again as long as the victim “called off the cops right now.” Delp III also pleaded with the the detective posing as the victim to call police and tell them the rape never happened  suggesting she tell investigators she was using the firehouse bathroom.

In September of 2019, Police interviewed Delp III in a non-custodial meeting detectives wrote in court documents where he apologized for going a little too far at the firehouse. Delp III admitted to police he recorded his conversations with the victim on his cellphone.

Police allege they discovered the pornographic images of  children engaged in sex acts on Delp’s III cellphone after he consented to allow police to extract data from it. 20 images were discovered during a forensic review of data and phone memory including images of children that appear to be under the age of 5.

Delp III was also ordered to have no contact with the victim and anyone under 18.  He is considered a Tier 3 S.O.R.N.A. Offender (lifetime sex offender registration),

He will also have to serve two years of state probation when he is released from prison.

Delp III comes from a family of first responders, His father, Paul Jr was elected Trevose Fire Chief last month.

Editors Note: No Contest or Nolo Contendere pleas carry the same fundamental consequences, but not the official admission of guilt, according to legal scholars and working attorneys.