PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The former Philadelphia homicide detective convicted of sexually assaulting three men has been sentenced to 24 ½ to 49 years in prison.
Philip Nordo remained silent Friday before Judge Giovanni Campbell and appeared stoic, wearing a white sweatshirt and waiving his right to address the judge.
Campbell chastised the disgraced investigator, calling his crimes “severe and egregious.”
Nordo was found guilty in June of assaulting three witnesses, including a prison guard.
He raped one victim in a motel room and directed $20,000 in reward money for the arrest in the killing of Officer Moses Walker, Jr. towards that man. He tried to assault another victim in a detective’s car. The third victim was an informant involved in a lengthy gun investigation.
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Investigators said Nordo used his power and position to control witnesses and informants.
“He was able to operate in the criminal justice system in a way that made it so that he could get away with this without accountability,” prosecutor Brian Collins said at the time. “I think that led to a situation where he could have been believed by default. I think he chose these people for a reason.”
District Attorney Larry Krasner said Friday that the judge’s sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime.
“This is a terrible abuse of power, a terrible abuse of position to coerce and victimize other people,” said Krasner.
Nordo attorney Michael van der Veen said he plans to appeal.
“Allocution, I don’t think he felt was at all necessary,” said van der Veen about Nordo’s silence before the judge. “My client maintains his innocence.”
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The defense Friday painted the former homicide detective as a family man who has a lot of support, spending years as an officer helping people and solving cases. They submitted 15 letters of support to the judge.
“Those letters spoke of him being a kind, God-fearing man,” said van der Veen.
But prosecutors told the court the former detective “abused public trust” and also went through his lengthy police misconduct record.
They also read letters from two victims, one of which said Nordo “destroyed my life, destroyed everything,” and that he feels “nothing but pain and sadness.” Another said the assault “stripped him of his manhood” and that he “fights suicidal thoughts.”
“This is a devastating situation for the victims,” said Krasner, “but it’s also devastating for public trust in the criminal justice system, and we hope we have started to restore that today.”
Nordo, who is 56, will get two years for time served. He will have to register as a sex offender and pay $20,000 in restitution for the Walker reward money.