Man charged with illegal recording of probation meetings

By BRETT R. WHITLING
Clarion News Writer

A 23-year-old Clarion man faces two third-degree felony charges after he allegedly made illegal voice recordings inside the Clarion County Adult Probation office.

Bruin Posiabe Abe-Emerick is charged with two counts of intercepting communications, a third-degree felony.

Pennsylvania has a “two-party consent” law which makes it a crime to record a conversation unless all parties to the conversation give consent.

Emerick allegedly recorded conversations with probation officers without their consent.

On Aug. 28, Emerick was at the Clarion County Probation Office being arrested for a probation violation.

Upon searching Emerick, police allegedly found a recording device in his pocket.

Emerick was advised it was illegal for him to record inside the probation office.

Emerick allegedly disagreed and said he had been recording probation appointments and also recording appointments at CenClear.

CenClear is a counseling service center.

When Clarion County Detective Roger Wright attempted to speak to Emerick, Emerick said he didn’t want to talk to Wright. Emerick said he was already going to jail on a probation violation and just wanted to go to jail.

On Sept. 5, Wright obtained a search warrant and listened to the recordings.

Wright allegedly heard two recordings inside the probation office on June 26 lasting 26 minutes and a second recording made Aug. 28 lasting 33 minutes.

On each recording, Emerick is allegedly heard ringing the bell at the probation office, which police allege confirms he was the person making the recording.

The audio recordings of Clarion County Probation officers were made without their knowledge or approval.