Puneet Bsanti / The News Tribune (TNS)
A former probation officer in Pierce County is accused of having a sexual relationship with a client who was assigned to him.
Prosecutors have charged Mario Joseph Tropiano, 39, with three counts of first-degree custodial sexual misconduct, court records show. Charges say that between October 2022 and October 2023, Tropiano used his position as the victim’s probation officer to initiate inappropriate relations with her.
Tropiano’s arraignment is scheduled for May 24 at Pierce County Superior Court. Efforts to reach him or an attorney for him were not immediately successful.
An investigation began after the victim’s attorney informed the court on Oct. 24, 2023 during a probation hearing that the woman had an intimate relationship with Tropiano. At that time, Tropiano was no longer the victim’s probation officer. Her attorney told the judge that she had adverse emotions about meeting her current officer because of the former relationship with Tropiano, documents show.
When the investigation began, Tropiano was working a probation-officer assignment in Des Moines.
Evidence showed that Tropiano and the victim had sexual contact through text messages, at her home, in hotels and occasionally at his office, court records show. The text messages revealed that Tropiano and the victim allegedly met multiple times to have sex, records show.
Tropiano was assigned to the victim’s case in July 2022 in regards to a misdemeanor charge. He served as her probation officer until August 2023 when he moved to Montana because his father was ill, documents say. During their first meeting, the victim spoke to Tropiano about the abuse she faced in a past relationship. They met another time for a normal check-in.
After that, Tropiano would call frequently, and the victim said it felt unusual, noting her previous experience with probation officers. In another instance, Tropiano asked if he could come over. The victim thought it was odd for him to check her home for a misdemeanor charge. After that, Tropiano and the victim began flirting over text while discussing her probation, documents show.
Tropiano and the victim met in Fife at a hotel in October 2022 with the purpose of having sex. They would have multiple sexual interactions after that. One instance was in his office after she wore something revealing, records show.
Tropiano allegedly told the victim he wanted her to complete her probation so he could date her without consequences. Tropiano would try to help her get off probation, including by writing to the judge, documents show.
Tropiano also allegedly gave the woman money, including $1,500 for rent after she lost a large sum of money gambling. Tropiano was reluctant until she threatened to report him in regards to their relationship. He gave her the money and then they had sexual contact, charges show.
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In another instance, detectives found a money transaction where Tropiano allegedly sent her $72.50 in October 2022, records show.
In an initial statement, the woman said she felt Tropiano was a predator who used information he found out about her during the time he was her probation officer to target and take advantage of her, documents show.
The woman told investigators that if she did not comply with Tropiano, she believed he would make the conditions of her probation worse or have her put in jail.
When asked if any of the sex acts were forcible, she said that she was choked. She commented that Tropiano was “aggressive and weird.”
Documents show that detectives attempted to contact Tropiano in January 2024, but he replied by saying that he retained an attorney.
The Des Moines city manager told detectives in November 2023 that Tropiano was put on administrative leave after she was informed of the sexual-misconduct allegations, documents show.