A Fallston baseball coach is facing felony child solicitation charges after investigators said he arranged to meet an undercover deputy he believed to be a 15-year-old boy, according to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.
Robert “Joe” Swarthout, 41, was arrested on Friday, following an investigation conducted in partnership with the true-crime series “Takedown,” Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler announced. Swarthout is charged with two felony counts related to the solicitation of a minor. He appeared in court on Thursday and was held without bail, according to CBS News Baltimore.
Investigation and Arrest Details
Investigators stated that Swarthout used an online application named “Sniffies” to communicate with an undercover deputy who was posing as a teenage boy named Aiden. According to charging documents cited by CBS News Baltimore, the coach sent sexually charged messages and explicit photos, and requested similar images in return. Swarthout allegedly arranged an in-person meeting with the undercover officer and was taken into custody at the designated location.
“Let me make one thing absolutely clear, if you target our kids, we will find you, we will arrest you, and we will bring you to justice,” Sheriff Gahler said in a social media statement.
Court records obtained by CBS News Baltimore also state that Swarthout is a father of two. Investigators reported that he left his 8-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son in the care of a 12-year-old neighbor in order to travel to the scheduled meeting with the undercover deputy.
Community Impact and Prior Employment
Authorities stated that Swarthout told detectives he served as a baseball coach with Fallston Recreation and previously worked for a national tutoring company. The arrest follows another case announced by the Harford County Sheriff’s Office just one day prior involving Kenneth Goedeke, a Catholic Church deacon and former Catholic school teacher from Bel Air, who faces similar charges.
“Both of these married, grown men have put themselves into positions where they interact with children every single day,” Sheriff Gahler told CBS News Baltimore. “We’re not going to tolerate it.”
Fallston United Methodist Church released a statement regarding Swarthout’s connection to the congregation, noting that the charges are deeply concerning. The church stated that Swarthout was present at a limited number of youth activities over a three-month period, which were held in the gym or other open, highly visible spaces alongside other adult volunteers, parents, and church leadership. Church officials emphasized that the events leading to the arrest did not involve the church.
Law Enforcement Guidance and Resources
Sheriff Gahler urged parents and caretakers to actively monitor minors’ digital devices and online interactions. “Look at the devices, see what apps are on their devices, what they’re using and, again, how they’re spending their online time,” he said.
The Harford County Sheriff’s Office established a dedicated tip line for the ongoing investigation. Anyone with information concerning Swarthout or who believes they may have been a victim is asked to contact investigators at cactips@harfordsheriff.org.
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