Chester County fire battalion chief accused of sexually abusing minors

A Chester County firefighter has been charged with sexually abusing teenage boys after an anonymous tip alerted authorities to his relationship with a 14-year-old, prosecutors said Sunday.

Investigators said they believe Carlton Raye Bell Jr., a battalion chief with the North Coventry Fire Company, found his victims on the online dating site Grindr before luring them back to his Pottstown home.

Authorities arrested him Friday on multiple felonies including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, and unlawful contact with a minor.

He did not respond to requests for comment Sunday night.

According to the criminal complaint, Bell, 27, first made contact with his 14-year-old victim on Grindr in September and quickly escalated their relationship to an in-person meeting. He picked up the boy at his Caln Township residence for a sexual encounter, prosecutors said.

On a second occasion, the complaint alleges, Bell initiated a group chat between the 14-year-old and two other suspected minors believed to be 16 and 17. He allegedly drove all them to his home and had sex with all three.

Prosecutors said the 14-year-old led them to Bell after they received the tip about their relationship in December.

“The District Attorney’s Office is deeply committed to the protection and safety of children,” Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan said in a statement.

In addition to his role with the North Coventry Fire Company, Bell also served as a volunteer firefighter with the Limerick, Ridge and Goodwill Pottstown fire companies in Montgomery County. He has been suspended from all of them, prosecutors said.

He remains at the Chester County prison on a $150,000 cash bail pending a Jan. 23 preliminary hearing.