Ex-Philly Cop Gets Prison Time For Indecent Assault, Official Oppression

PHILADELPHIA — A former homicide detective in the Philadelphia Police Department was sentenced to prison time Thursday in connection with the sexual harassment of the mother of a homicide victim.

Donald Suchinsky, 60, of Hatboro, pleaded guilty to indecent assault by forcible compulsion and official oppression.

He was sentenced to 6-and-a-half to 13 years in state prison. He will also be a registered sex offender for 25 years.

Suchinsky was initially charged in March 2023 with aggravated indecent assault, stalking, official oppression, harassment, and more crimes. Then in May that same year had additional charges, including rape, filed against him.

According to authorities, Suchinsky stalked and sexual harassed the mother of a homicide victim in a case he was assigned to.

The additional charges came after authorities heard from another woman whose brother was the victim of a homicide. Suchinsky was assigned to that investigation.

"This is a case that is particularly heinous and particularly upsetting because it involved a homicide detective preying on vulnerable survivors of homicide," Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said Thursday.

"For one victim, instead of solving that murder, he sexually abused her and harassed her with numerous inappropriate emails and communications," Special Investigations Unit Supervisor Vincent Corrigan said. "Rather than spending his time focusing on how to solve that murder, he focused on how he could use her for his own sexual gratification."

Regarding the second victim, Corrigan said Suchinsky "waged a years-long campaign" of sexual harassment and abuse, using his position in the investigation into her loved one's homicide as leverage over her.

"They both had the courage to come beyond that, come to court, work with out office," he said.

One of the victims is urging anyone else who has been victimized by people in power to contact the DA's office at 215-686-9608.