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Shawn Taylor, of Sterling, Virginia, was convicted this week on a host of charges after soliciting a teen girl he met online by posing as a younger man to earn her trust and arrange several illicit rendezvous, the Chester County District Attorney announced.
Taylor’s downfall came in January 2021, when Pennsylvania State Police troopers were called to a home in the West Broadford Township to investigate reports a missing teenager that led to a startling discovery.
Witnesses said at the time that a 15-year-old girl was spotted walking down the street with a grown man - later identified as Taylor - who was oddly carrying a ladder in the middle of the night before the two got into an SUV together.
Taylor and his underage victim were tracked down by state police, who seized his cellphone and the suspect ladder, which was used to help the child escape from her parents’ home.
During the initial investigation, troopers also found that the back of Taylor’s vehicle had been made into a makeshift bed, adding to the curiosity of the situation.
According to investigators, troopers determined that the two met online on “Omegle,” and Taylor claimed he was 27 years old, while the girl stated she was 19.
They said that the girl later admitted to having sex with Taylor in his car at least three times at multiple locations in Chester County beginning in 2020, when she was 15 years old, leading to his arrest and subsequent conviction.
Taylor was found guilty of:
- Statutory sexual assault;
- Corruption of minors;
- Unlawful contact with minors;
- Aggravated indecent assault;
- Involuntary deviate sexual intercourse.
He’s scheduled to be sentenced at a later date.
“(Taylor) knew or should have known that the victim in this case was under 16, and yet he still pursued her for sex,” District Attorney Deb Ryan said. “All the warning signs were there but he chose to ignore them.
“In Pennsylvania, it is unlawful to have sex with a child under the age of 16 if you are four or more years older,” the DA continued. “(Taylor) lied about his age, and he lied to police because he knew that his actions were unlawful.”
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