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Pa. Trooper Charged With Exposing Himself

PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) - A Pennsylvania state trooper has been suspended without pay and charged with exposing himself to a woman at the barracks where he worked.

Eric Zona, 46, of North Huntingdon Township, has been a state trooper since 1996. He was suspended without pay after the Internal Affairs unit of the Pennsylvania State Police filed charges against him.

Zona works out of the state police barracks in Greensburg.

Investigators said he and an unidentified woman met at an annex at the barracks where police memorabilia is sold. She sent him a text that she was interested in buying some merchandise there.

The woman selected several items, at a price of $95.

She said she asked for a discount and Zona told her "she could have the discount, if she looked at this."

The woman said she turned and saw Zona expose himself to her. He then charged the woman $75 for the merchandise, authorities said.

Court documents say he exposed himself again and offered a 50 percent discount if she exposed her breasts to him and he allegedly could perform a sex act. She refused, and left.

She notified authorities, and the State Police Internal Affairs Division launched an investigation last October.

Zona faces up to three years in jail if he's convicted on charges of public lewdness and indecent exposure.

Investigators were also able to extract several messages from both the trooper's and the woman's cell phones. Several of the messages retrieved had already been deleted by Zona.

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