PA Fire Chief Resigns over Sex Offender Status

The chief of the Spartansburg Volunteer Fire Department has resigned after his reelection sparked a public outcry because of his status as a registered sex offender.

Roger Gilbert Jr., who was convicted in 2001 of having sexual intercourse with a 4-year-old girl, resigned from his position as chief Sunday and is no longer affiliated with the department, according to Fox 61.

Despite the fact Gilbert is registered in the state's Megan's Law database after completing a five- to 10-year sentence for "involuntary deviate sexual intercourse," Spartansburg's mayor stood by the department's decision to reelect the chief.

"I support the fire department and their decision to have him as chief," Mayor Anne Louise Wagner told the Corry Journal. "The firemen have always elected their own officers and that's how it's always been done. We don't question their decisions."

The victim's mother told the Journal that she doesn't believe he should be in a job where he might interact with children.

The 43-year-old Gilbert told the Journal that he has changed his life for the better since committing the crime in 2000.

"That was 20 years ago," he said. "You know, the story you are telling kids is once you make a mistake, you will be punished for the rest of your life. I've changed my life for the better. Every day I get up and try to do good."

Pennsylvania state police say it's up to each community to decide whether to allow sex offenders who have completed their sentences to serve in an office at the local level.

Spartansburg is a town of less than 300 people about 40 miles southeast of Erie.