State Trooper Arrested for Sexual Extortion

Police Cpl. Joshua A. Giddings

A state trooper was arrested Monday after he made a deal with a shoplifter to trade sexual acts for delaying her appearance in court.

Police Cpl. Joshua A. Giddings, 36, assigned to Troop 9 in Odessa, is a seven-year veteran patrol trooper of the Delaware State Police. His arrest was the culmination a DSP investigation of alleged misconduct brought to the DSP’s attention by a 39-year-old New Castle woman he arrested March 19.

An investigation substantiated that on March 19 at 8 p.m., Giddings was dispatched to JC Penney’s at the Christiana Mall for a report of a female shoplifter in custody.

Giddings arrested the woman for shoplifting and capias charges from a local court related to traffic offenses. After the arrest, the investigation showed, the woman and Giddings agreed that if she performed a sexual favor, Giddings would not take her directly to court to face charges and capiases. Instead, he would issue her a criminal summons to appear at a later date.

While he was acting in his official capacity as a trooper,Giddings drove to a secluded area nearby with the woman detained in the vehicle and engaged in a sexual act, then drove her home.

An investigation was immediately launched when the DSP was notified and Giddings was suspended with pay and benefits. During the investigation, a clothing item belonging to the victim was found to contain traces of seminal fluid, and detectives obtained a search warrant to get DNA from Giddings. A Delaware Office of the Chief Medical Examiner comparison showed that the clothing sample DNA matched Giddings’ DNA profile.

Arrest warrants were obtained, Giddings was informed and he voluntarily turned himself in May 11 at Troop 2 in Newark.

He was charged with Sexual Extortion (felony), Receiving a Bribe (felony) and Official Misconduct.

On arraignment, he was issued an $8,000 unsecured bond. Because of the arrest, Colonel Thomas F. Mac Leish has placed Giddings on suspension without pay and benefits with the intent to dismiss him from the division.