Deputy Attorney General Charge with Rape on 16 Yr old Boy

 

A Delaware deputy attorney general resigned Monday after he was arrested and charged with raping a 16-year-old boy he allegedly met through a popular gay dating app.

Daniel Simmons, 34, was arrested Friday and charged with four counts of rape in the fourth degree. He was released Friday after posting $45,000 bail, according to the New Castle County Police Department.

Simmons met the teen on the popular gay dating app Grindr, according to New Castle County Police. The app, launched in 2009, is a social, location-based mobile app designed to connect gay and bisexual men, according to its website.

Police began investigating Simmons in March after receiving a tip from someone who became aware of the alleged incident. The investigation continued until police officers went to Simmons' office on Friday to interview him. They arrested him the same day, said Officer Tracy Duffy, a spokeswoman for the New Castle County Police.

Simmons was placed on administrative leave after his arrest and resigned from his post Monday. He had been a prosecutor with the Delaware attorney general's office since November 2006, agency spokesman Jason Miller told the Delaware News Journal.

State prosecutor Kathleen Jennings released a statement Monday saying, "We are deeply disturbed by the conduct alleged in this case. We are most concerned for the welfare of the victim. This case will be vigorously pursued to justice. Ethically, we are prohibited from saying more," according to the News Journal.

It is unclear whether Simmons has hired an attorney.

Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, the son of Vice President Joe Biden, has not commented on the case.