A part-time officer at the Millbourne Borough Police Department has been arrested after he took photos and videos of at least two teenage girls at a Chester County YMCA last month.
However, when investigators searched Mark Mackrell's phone, they discovered inappropriate content of juveniles that dated back to July 2024.
According to a joint statement by the Chester County District Attorney's Office and the Westtown-East Goshen Police Department, the mother of a 14-year-old girl told Westtown-East Goshen police that her daughter and her friend, 13, thought they were being filmed in the pool at the East Goshen YMCA on July 23.
YMCA staff were notified and attemped to talk to Mackrell, 52, of Coatesville. According to the statement, he refused to share his name but identified himself as a police officer and showed them his badge.
Investigators searched Mackrell's phone and determined that he had taken the videos, and the statement said Mackrell was heard making sexual comments about the juveniles in many of the videos.
Mackrell was charged with photographing a sexual act, stalking, unlawful contact with minors, and related offenses. He posted $100,000 bail and was released.
In an email to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Millbourne Police Chief Shawn Payne said Mackrell, who had been with the department for seven months, was on administrative leave "until the borough's council meets and decides on his employment status."
The YMCA of Greater Brandywine said in a statement Sunday that Mackrell was not an employee, and that staff collected information and called police as soon as they were notified of Mackrell's activities. He was immediately permanently banned from all YMCA of Greater Brandywine facilities.
Anyone with information relevant to the ongoing investigation can contact Westtown-East Goshen police at 610-692-9600.
