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Kiran Jonnala, 49, of Exton, will serve between one and 23 months in state prison and must pay $5,000 in fines, a judge ruled at his sentencing hearing, said acting Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry.
According to authorities, Jonnala was the president of his local Homeowners' Association when a neighbor filed a civil suit against the body in September 2020.
The next month, in October, Jonnala penned an email to a Boy Scout leader, prosecutors said. Both his son and the neighbor's son were members of the troop, authorities note.
In the email, Jonnala told the Boy Scout leader that the neighbor had sexually abused his (Jonnala's) son, AG Henry said. The troop leader reported the claim to ChildLine and suspended the neighbor from all scout activities until an investigation could be completed, she added.
Jonnala's son later told East Whiteland police that he had never been touched inappropriately by the neighbor and denied reporting any such abuse to his dad, according to the AG. At trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Jonnala had fabricated the allegation in retaliation for the lawsuit.
“The defendant’s actions were reckless and damaging, not just to the victim in this case, but to all those who are victims of child sexual abuse,” Henry wrote.
"By lying and reporting information that he knew was false, the defendant wasted valuable time and resources that could have been spent getting dangerous predators off the streets."
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