The once-revered former police chief of Ligonier Valley, John Berger, has found himself entangled in a sordid legal battle after being accused and subsequently arrested for sexually assaulting a patient at the DreamLife Recovery addiction center in Westmoreland County, as first reported by local news outlets.
Berger, who is 52 and a Ligonier Borough local, was fired on May 9, 2023, after a raid on his department by the Department of Homeland Security and state police, although that particular investigation yielded no charges, according to TribLIVE. Shortly after his dismissal from law enforcement, where he had served since 1993 and as Ligonier Borough's police chief from 2004 until the Ligonier borough and township departments combined about five years ago, Berger began a new role at DreamLife Recovery as a behavioral health technician in January following a personal stint there as a patient.
The allegations arose when a female accuser, who had previously encountered Berger while they were both patients at the rehab facility, reported to state police that the former chief had made unwanted sexual advances towards her, which escalated to a heinous assault earlier this month, with video surveillance corroborating Berger's presence in her room, an incident CBS News Pittsburgh highlighted. Berger was charged by state police with aggravated indecent assault, institutional sexual assault, and related offenses and during an admission in an interview with authorities, he confessed to the sexual assault, as stated in court papers mentioned by TribLIVE.
"It’s unbelievable, I can’t believe it, very, very horrible," Daniel Beranek, a local to Donegal, expressed his shock to WXPI upon learning about Berger's arrest, Berger has since been fired from DreamLife Recovery, took place after the victim described being awoken by Berger and forced into sexual acts, acts which she never consented to, and the disgraceful actions were met with community abhorrence as another resident, Zachary Buchholz, echoed the sentiment, stating, "There's no excuse for it honestly but definitely being held accountable and being a police officer to held to a higher standard and falling like that is pretty atrocious."
Berger currently resides at the Westmoreland County Prison, unable to post the $100,000 bail set before him, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for May 17. The accused does not have an attorney listed in online court records as of now. DreamLife Recovery has since issued a statement asserting their dedication to patient safety and integrity, stating, "Active investigations began immediately after the situation was reported to them, and they are committed to working closely with the affected individual to provide support needed at this time," as told to WXPI.
