Pa. corrections officer trainee charged with alleged sexual abuse of Fayette County youth

A state corrections officer trainee from Harrisburg was arrested for allegedly traveling multiple times to meet up with a 14-year-old Fayette County girl for sex.

Calvin M. Hynson, 26, of Market Street was charged by the state attorney general’s office for allegedly sexually abusing the girl, and sending and receiving nude photos.

Hynson was interviewed by special agents with the child predator task force, and claimed he thought the girl was an adult until he was contacted by her father several weeks ago. The girl’s father became aware of the relationship and contacted Hynson to tell him she was only 14 and told him to stay away from her.

However, on May 22, Hynson was found at the Ramada Inn in South Union Township to visit the girl and meet up for sex, according to the affidavit of probable cause filed in his case.

The girl’s father contacted the Uniontown City Police Department at the time, who referred the case to the task force.

Hynson was taken into custody at the hotel by special agents. He admitted he knew then that the girl was 14 and planned to have sex with her, court documents indicated. They previously met up at the hotel and engaged in sexual activity, he said, but he claimed he thought she was an adult at the time.

Authorities said Hynson claimed he “fell in love” with her, so he carried on the relationship even after learning her age. He reportedly told investigators he planned to look at houses in the area over the weekend, and hoped to transfer to a new job within the state prison system that would put him closer to the teen.

He also admitted to having nude photographs of the girl on his phone, and said he sent her nude photographs, authorities said. Hynson reportedly said he bought the child a cellphone and put her on his phone plan.

Hynson was charged with statutory sexual assault, child pornography, criminal use of a communication facility and three counts of unlawful contact with a minor. He was hired as a trainee at the State Correctional Institution at Camp Hill in Cumberland County in September, according to state Department of Corrections spokeswoman Susan McNaughton, and has been suspended without pay.

He was arraigned before on-call Magisterial District Judge Nathan A. Henning, who set bail at $100,000. He remains in Fayette County Prison in lieu of bail.

Alyssa Choiniere is a reporter for the Herald-Standard of Uniontown, a publishing partner of the Capital-Star, where this story first appeared.