Two US cops in Parker, Broderick snooping case charged

London: The two US police chiefs, accused of snooping on the surrogate mother of actors Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick’s children, have been charged with several offences. According to special prosecutor T Shawn Hervey, the two men conspired to take items from the woman’s eastern Ohio home to sell to celebrity photographers.

The two officers, Martins Ferry Police Chief Barry Carpenter and Bridgeport Police Chief Chad Dojack, denied all charges and were freed on their own recognisance. The surrogate mother, who gave birth to twins June 22 at an Ohio hospital, was not home at the time of the alleged burglary. The alleged burglary took place in mid-May in the eastern Ohio town of Martins Ferry, and the allegations against Carpenter and Dojack surfaced about a week later. At an arraignment hearing, Carpenter, 32, was charged with two counts of burglary, one count of receiving stolen property, one count of theft in office, one count of unauthorised use of property or services and one count of tampering with evidence. Dojack, 30, was charged with two counts of complicity to burglary and one count of complicity to receiving stolen property. Carpenter could face 21 and a half years in prison if convicted on all charges, and Dojack could face up to 14 and a half years if convicted on all charges against him. Hervey said that Carpenter is alleged to have entered the home of Michelle Ross and removed items from the home identifying her as the surrogate mother. Along with Dojack, Carpenter allegedly attempted to sell the items to photographers. He also said it was troubling that society “is so celebrity crazed that a market exists and tens of thousands of dollars are exchanged for pictures and stories of celebrity scandal”. “Unfortunately, the city and Belmont County are now living their own Hollywood soap opera,” a news daily quoted him as adding. ANI