PITTSBURGH (CN) - A predatory Pittsburgh police officer told a woman to "strip" for him if she wanted to get her fiancé out of jail, and the city let him keep working despite his sexual assaults on other women, the woman claims in court.
Adam M. Skweres, 35, pleaded guilty in March to 26 counts of sexually assaulting five women, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. He was sentenced to 3½ to 8 years in prison, and will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
He could have been sentenced to 86½ to 173 years in prison if he was convicted at trial, his attorney told the Post-Gazette.
In her federal lawsuit, Melissa Watkins says: "The Pittsburgh City Police Department has known for years that it had a violent sexual predator on its police force but did nothing."
She sued Pittsburgh, Skweres, former Police Chief Nathan Harper, Zone No. 3 Cmdr. Catherine McNeilly, and a John Doe police captain.
Watkins claims in the lawsuit claims that she was "the fourth victim of five women who have come forward regarding a sexual predator employed by the Pittsburgh City Police Department, Adam Skweres."
Watkins says she met Skweres when he responded with two other officers to a domestic dispute call she made on Dec. 11, 2011.
Her fiancé was arrested when police found marijuana on him, Watkins says in the lawsuit.
She says she saw Skweres later that month at her fiancé's criminal proceeding, and spoke with him about getting her fiance's bail reduced.
On Dec. 27, 2011, Watkins says, Skweres called her at home "regarding her fiance's whereabouts, in order to determine whether she was home alone."
At 9 o'clock the next night, she says in her lawsuit: "Ms. Watkins heard a knock on her door and found defendant Skweres on her doorstep. Ms. Watkins was at home with her young daughter in the other room. Ms. Watkins invited the officer into her home whereupon they had a discussion regarding whether Ms. Watkins knew where her fiancé had obtained the marijuana found on him at the time of his arrest.
"Then, Ms. Watkins asked defendant Skweres whether there was 'anything [she] could possible do to get him home.' Defendant Skweres immediately indicated that she could 'Strip.' Ms. Watkins nervously laughed off the comment and responded 'No, seriously?' Defendant Skweres reiterated 'You can strip.'
"At that point, Ms. Watkins became afraid and began backing away from Defendant Skweres, who was still near her front door. Defendant Skweres then tuned around and locked the deadbolt explaining 'to make sure that nobody bothers us.' Defendant Skweres walked into the living room approaching Ms. Watkins.
"Ms. Watkins exclaimed 'that's not going to happen.' Defendant Skweres responded that if she really wanted the charges dropped and her fiancé home, and that 'if she were a good girlfriend, [she] would do what it took.' Defendant Skweres told Ms. Watkins that for 'five minutes of [her] time, you can make this all go away.