Prosecutor accused of trading sex for leniency pleads guilty

BEDFORD, Pa. (AP) — A former Pennsylvania district attorney accused of tipping off female drug dealers and giving them lenient treatment in exchange for sex has pleaded guilty to corruption charges in a deal that will keep him out of jail.

Former Bedford County District Attorney William Higgins pleaded guilty Wednesday to 31 misdemeanor counts, including official oppression, according to Attorney General Josh Shapiro.

Higgins resigned in early April after the charges were filed, saying in a statement that he'd been accused of conduct "unbecoming of a district attorney" and "unbecoming of a husband and father.