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Jeffrey T. Lukens, 62, of Buckingham Township, was found guilty of felony indecent assault of a child under 13 and unlawful contact with a minor, said Bucks District Attorney Matthew Weintraub. The jury delivered its verdict Wednesday, March 15 following a three-day trial, the DA said.
In September 2021, jurors were told, Lukens was hired by a Newtown Township homeowner to remove bees from the basement. While on the site, prosecutors said he invited the client's 11-year-old son to help him and "gave him a partial bee suit to wear to protect his face and upper body."
But while the victim was up on a ladder, using a reciprocating saw to remove a beehive, authorities said Lukens "inappropriately touched the boy, and then lifted the boy’s shorts and took a cellphone picture of his thighs."
As the victim was still up on the ladder, prosecutors said Lukens continued to assault him, putting his hand under the boy's shirt.
"He again inappropriately touched the boy, and the boy got off the ladder and left when he felt Lukens lift his underwear away from his body," DA Weintraub's office wrote.
Four days later, when Lukens returned to the home to complete the work, authorities said the contractor asked the boy to take a picture of his abdomen. Lukens then lifted the victim's shirt and snapped a photo without permission, prosecutors said.
The allegations were reported to Newtown police by the victim's parents that same day, authorities wrote. Detectives said they later recovered the deleted images from Lukens' cell phone.
“I don’t know if this family will ever get that sense of safety and security back,” said Deputy District Attorney Sarah K. Heimbach during closing arguments in court on Wednesday. “Finding this defendant guilty is a start.”
Common Pleas Judge Raymond F. McHugh deferred the 62-year-old contractor's sentencing hearing for 30 days, DA Weintraub said.
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