Liquor control enforcement officer charged with sex crimes against 2 pre-teen girls

Patrick Varine | Thursday, February 24, 2022 5:00 p.m.

Metro Creative

A Pennsylvania State Police liquor control enforcement officer has been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting two girls in Cambria County.

Scott Berdine was arrested Thursday and faces 10 charges related to multiple incidents in which he is accused of sexual offenses against two children outside of his regular work hours, at a residence in Blacklick Township.

Berdine, 40, of Blacklick’s Belsano neighborhood, was charged with child rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, indecent assault of a person less than 13 years old and corruption of minors with regards to acts allegedly committed against one victim between January 2017 and Dec 2018.

He was charged with two counts each of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with child and corruption of minors, along with three counts of indecent assault against a person less than 13 years old in relation to acts alleged against a second victim between January 2019 and early July 2021.

Berdine was arraigned Thursday and posted two $7,500 bonds, or 10% of $75,000 bail in both cases.

Dan Kiss, an attorney representing Berdine, said his client “strenuously denies” the charges.

“In our opinion, it’s impossible for this to have happened,” Kiss said.

Berdine has worked as a liquor control enforcement officer since September 2008 out of the Punxsutawney district office and has been suspended without pay pending resolution of the criminal charges.

Berdine has a March 8 preliminary hearing scheduled before District Judge Richard Ireland in Clearfield.