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Sunday, dec 22
Tag:
Child Abuse
News
Former State College Psychologist Groomed, Sexually Assaulted Girl For Years: AG
A former State College-area psychologist groomed and sexually assaulted a young girl over an eight-year period, Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry announced on Thursday, Dec. 19. Richard Lenhart, 63, of Bellefonte, used his position of trust to target the victim, sexually abusing her between 2005 and 2013 in the State College area, according to the Attorney General's office. The victim testified during the trial that Lenhart began grooming her at a young age before subjecting her to repeated acts of sexual assault, including rape and indecent assault, the release states. Lenhart …
Police & Fire
Teen Groomed, Assaulted At Berkshire Mall By Sinking Spring Man: Police
A Sinking Spring man is accused of grooming and sexually assaulting a juvenile girl at a novelty store inside the Berkshire Mall, Wyomissing police announced on Tuesday, Dec. 17. Steven P. Najarian was arrested after an extensive investigation into unlawful sexual encounters involving a juvenile female, authorities said. Police determined that Najarian groomed the victim before the alleged assaults at the store located at 1665 State Hill Road in Wyomissing. Wyomissing detectives believe there may be additional victims who have not yet come forward, according to the release. "The Wyomissing…
Schools
PA School Failed To Stop Sexual Assault Of Faculty Member’s Child By Coach’s Son: Lawsui
An elite Pennsylvania boarding school allowed a basketball coach’s 12-year-old son to repeatedly sexually abuse a faculty member’s 7-year-old child due to failed safety measures and administrative negligence, a newly filed lawsuit claims. The lawsuit, filed Monday, Dec. 16, in Montgomery County Court, names the and its Head of School, Mark Devey, as defendants. It alleges the school ignored glaring security hazards and failed to act on numerous reports of faulty doors, locks, and cameras—conditions that enabled the abuse. The complaint, brought by the child’s mother under the pseudonym…
News
PA Foster Mom Admits To Strangling Infant
A North Whitehall Township foster mother has admitted to asphyxiating and strangling a 1-year-old girl in her care, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan announced Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. Brenda Broadwater, 49, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault of a victim under 13 and endangering the welfare of children during a hearing before Judge Robert L. Steinberg. Both charges are felonies, and her plea agreement includes a minimum prison sentence capped at three years. Sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. The charges stem from a call to Pennsylvania State P…
News
Exclusive
: PA Mom Of Baby Girl Who Died Speaks Out Amid Abusive Murder Case
The mother of a 3-month-old girl who died under suspicious circumstances spoke exclusively to Daily Voice on Wednesday morning, Nov. 27, sharing her perspective on the events leading up to the tragedy and the allegations that followed. In the emotional interview, the infant’s mom denied that her daughter was ever shaken or dropped, contradicting details outlined in the affidavit. "She was fully conscious when in the shower because she cried when she first went in," she said. "It was only a few minutes before I was called, and she was limp with mucus coming from both her nose and mouth. While…
News
Details Revealed In Infant’s Death; PA Man Faces Murder Charge: Affidavit
Newly released court documents provide chilling details about the events leading up to the death of a 3-month-old baby, for which Harrisburg resident Eriezer Eddie Melendez Jr., 37, is now facing a murder charge. According to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by Daily Voice on Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 27, Pennsylvania State Police were dispatched to a home on Canvasback Drive in Oliver Township on Thursday, Nov. 15, at 8:31 a.m., for a report of an infant in cardiac arrest. The baby, identified as "CR," was transported to Penn State Hershey Medical Center, where doctors determined she…
News
PA Man Accused Of Shaking Infant Now Charged With Murder
The tragic case involving Eriezer Eddie Melendez Jr., 37, of Harrisburg, has escalated as the 3-month-old baby he was accused of shaking has died from her injuries, a source close to the family told Daily Voice. The infant was removed from life support on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, at 6:30 p.m., and passed away at 10:35 p.m., according to family sources. As a result, Melendez now faces a Felony 1 Murder charge in addition to five other charges: Felony 1: Aggravated assault – victim less than 13 years old and defendant 18 or older. Felony 2: Aggravated assault – victim less than 6 years old a…
Police & Fire
Lititz Man Charged With Sexually Assaulting Three Children Over Six Years: Ephrata Police
A Lititz man has been charged with sexually assaulting three children, Ephrata police announced on Tuesday, Nov. 12. Andrew Joseph Leisey, 53, is accused of committing two counts of aggravated indecent assault of a child, one count of aggravated indecent assault of a complainant under 13 years old, two counts of indecent assault, and three counts of corruption of minors, according to the release. Police allege the incidents occurred between 2001 and 2003 and again from 2005 to 2007. Leisey was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Torrey Landis on Nov. 12. His bail was set at $50,000,…
News
Baby Nearly Killed When PA Man Shakes Her: Affidavit
A Harrisburg man is accused of shaking a 3-month-old baby, causing life-threatening injuries, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice. Troopers responded to a call about a baby in cardiac arrest at a home on Canvasback Drive in Oliver Township on Thursday, Nov. 15, at 8:31 a.m., Pennsylvania State Police said in the affidavit of probable cause. The baby, identified as "CR," was taken to Penn State Hershey Medical Center, where doctors found severe injuries, including extensive subdural hematomas, retinal hemorrhages, and bruising considered a sentinel injury, according to med…
News
PA Man Faces 86 Charges For Raping 4 Children Over 9 Years: Affidavit
A Hatfield man has been charged with 50 felonies and 36 misdemeanors related to the alleged sexual abuse of four minors across Montgomery County, authorities announced on Thursday, Nov. 21. Resul Mustafa Ozdemir, 26, of Pinegrove Avenue in Hatfield Township, was arraigned on the charges and jailed on $500,000 cash bail, according to court records. The charges against Ozdemir include five felony counts each of rape by forcible compulsion, rape via threat of forcible compulsion, rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse by forcible compulsion, involuntary deviate sexual intercou…
News
13-Year-Old Girl Raped By PA Registered Megan’s Law Sex Offender: Affidavit
An Ephrata man, already a lifetime Megan’s Law registrant, is facing charges for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl, subjecting her to repeated abuse over the past two years, according to the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department on Wednesday, Nov. 20, and an affidavit of probable cause obtained by Daily Voice. Michael Christopher Pringle, 60, was arrested after the victim disclosed the assault to her school counselor on Oct. 7. The incident occurred the evening before at a home in Clay Township. **WARNING THE FOLLOWING DETAILS ARE DISTURBING** Allegations From The Affidavit…
News
Repeat Sex Offender Convicted Of Raping Another Child In Pennsylvania: DA
A repeat sex offender has been convicted of raping yet another child, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office announced on Tuesday, Nov. 12. Dennis "Denny" Eugene Meyer Jr., 47, of Harrisburg, was found guilty of felon Rape of a Child, felon Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse with a Child, felon Aggravated Indecent Assault of a Child, felon Unlawful Contact with a Minor, felon Sexual Assault, and misdemeanor Indecent Assault following a jury trial on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, according to the DA. The charges were brought after a 12-year-old girl told a friend’s mother that "…
News
More Family Members Charged For Child Rape, Incest, Lebanon County DA
A husband and wife have been arrested as part of a disturbing case of child rapes involving children as young as 5 years old, the Lebanon County District Attorney's Office detailed in a release on Friday, Nov. 1. Katherine Theraisa Longo, 47, of Lebanon, was arrested on Tuesday, Oct. 29, as Daily Voice previously reported. Shortly after news of her arrest was shared with Daily Voice, the DA informed us about charges of two more members of the Longo family. Kelly Longo, 43, and her husband, Christopher Longo, also 43, both of Lebanon are in the Lebanon County Prison after being arreste…
News
Mom Forces 'Depraved Sexual Desires' On Children: Lebanon County DA
A mom has been charged with 27 offenses in connection with horrific sexual abuse of children as young as 5-years-old, the Lebanon County District Attorney's Office announced on Friday, Nov. 1. Katherine Theraisa Longo, 47, of Lebanon, was arrested on Tuesday, Oct. 29 on 23 felonies and four misdemeanors with offenses including incest, rape of a child, aggravated indecent assault of children, endangering the welfare of children, and numerous related offenses. Two more people have been arrested in this case, click here to read our updated report. The charges stem from a police investig…
Police & Fire
Infant Raped By Montgomery County Man While Making Child Porn: DA
A Montgomery County man raped a 10-month-old boy while making child pornography, according to authorities. Brian Groo, 24, of Horsham, was charged after a video of the infant being raped was found online on Wednesday, Oct. 30, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office said. Authorities initially learned of the video after receiving a cybertip from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children on the same date, according to the district attorney. The video had been shared via an online messaging app called Kik. The cybertip indicated that the video appeared to be newly produc…
News
9-Year-Old's Rapist Sentenced: Lancaster DA
A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced for raping a girl for years, beginning when she was just 9-years-old, authorities announced on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. Timothy Barker, 48, of Leola, has been sentenced to serve 25-50 years in a State Correctional Institution by Lancaster County Judge Dennis Reinaker, the West Lampeter Township Police Department detailed in the updated release from the Lancaster County DA. Barker was between the ages of 40 and 44 at the time of the abuse, which began in 2018 when Barker was in a caregiving role to the victim, the Lancaster County District Att…
News
PA Infant's Life Cut Short After Father Violently Shook Her, Community Rallies Around Family
A one-month-old Lackawanna County girl died after her father violently shook her. Now, the community is rallying around the family. Cecilia Rossetti suffered traumatic injuries after falling prey to Shaken Baby Syndrome, according to a GoFundMe campaign set up to benefit the family. She died on Monday, Oct. 21. Although her life was short, "Cecilia's sweet, gentle spirit has touched the hearts of many, especially her big sister Celeste, who has cherished every moment of being a big sister," the campaign states. Watching the two sisters together was their mother's greatest joy, a…
Police & Fire
PA Girl Raped Starting At 4-Years-Old: Affidavit
A man has been arrested for sexually assaulting a girl for nearly a decade beginning when she was just 4-years-old, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice. James Andrew Arroyo, 64, of Columbia, PA, is accused of sexually assaulting and raping a child victim from 1985 to 1994 in Windsor Township, York County, the police explained. The girl first reported the abuse in 1994 when she was only 13-years-old, according to the police. Now in her early 40s, the woman was interviewed and shared graphic details of the abuse, according to the affidavit of probable cause. …
Police & Fire
Virginia Man Wanted In Delco Child Rape Case Arrested: Police
A Virginia man who was wanted in Delaware County for raping a child was arrested on Tuesday, Oct. 8, according to police. Candelario Ochoa Bravo, 47, of Emporia, Virginia, was charged for raping a nine-year-old girl at a residence in Sharon Hill Borough in 2012, according to police documents. **WARNING THE FOLLOWING DETAILS ARE GRAPHIC** Bravo is accused of taking the girl from a bath, laying her on a bed, and performing oral sex on her in 2012, the criminal complaint states. **WARNING THE ABOVE DETAILS ARE GRAPHIC** The girl reported the incident to police in 2017 and again more r…
Police & Fire
PA Man Charged For Raping Girl 20 Times At Daycare Center: Affidavit
A Delaware County man was arrested for raping a girl 20 times during the course of his time working at a daycare center 16 years ago, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice on Tuesday, Oct. 8. William Thomas McGrath IV, 30, of Upper Darby, was charged for raping the victim 20 times while she attended Ms. Barb's Daycare, located in the 200 block of Parker Avenue, Upper Darby, beginning in 2008, the criminal complaint says. McGrath would have been about 16 years old at the time, according to the documents. He was arrested and charged on Thursday, Oct. 3. When the girl was…
News
Amish PA Dad Sentenced For Raping Daughters: DA
An Amish dad has been sentenced after pleading guilty to raping his daughters repeatedly for his daughters over 18 years, the Lancaster County District Attorney's office announced and as detailed in court documents obtained by Daily Voice. Amos Ebersol, 60, of the 500 block of South Fairmont Road, Ephrata, pleaded guilty to numerous felonies and misdemeanors for raping and sexually assaulting his daughters, which was accepted by Judge David Ashworth on Friday, Oct. 4, according to the DA. He was sentenced to spend 12 to 24 years in state prison. Ebersol was charged with the fol…
Police & Fire
Child Raped During Burglary, Philadelphia Police Say
A child was raped during a burglary, according to a police release on Thursday, Oct. 3. Tyreek Collier, also known as Tyreek Jackson, 28, was arrested from the 6400 block of Charles Street on Wednesday, Oct. 2, according to the Philadelphia Police Department. Collier is accused of sexually assaulting a child during a burglary in the 3000 block of Cottman Avenue at 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 18, police said. He was charged under two separate dockets with: Rape Forcible Compulsion. Unlawful Contact with Minor - Sexual Offenses. Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse Forcible Compu…
News
Texas Man Sentenced For 10+ Years Of PA Girl's Assaults: DA
A decade of sexual assaults by a Texas man that denied a girl "privileges" unless she complied, has ended with his sentencing the Cumberland County District Attorney Seán M. McCormack announced on Tuesday, Oct. 1. Joseph "Joe" Peter Tondo, 60, of Rosharon, TX sexually assaulted the girl in Southampton Township, PA for over a decade, the Cumberland County District Attorney's office explained in a release on Friday, Feb. 2. Judge Christylee Peck sentenced Tondo to "an aggregate sentence of 11-22 years in a state correctional institution, followed by a term of 10 years of…
Police & Fire
Accused PA Incestuous Child Rapist Arrested In VA: Police
An accused child rapist who appears to have been on the run, was captured in Virginia, New Holland police announced on Thursday, Sept. 19. Jeffrey Alan Smith, 45, of New Holland, was charged by Officer Halstead with the following felonies: Rape of a Child, Statutory Sexual Assault, Aggravated Indecent Assault, Indecent Assault of a Minor under 13 (two counts), Corruption of Minors (two counts), Incest of Minors, Unlawful Contact with Minors (two counts) and Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse. The police began investigating following a referral by Lancaster County Children and Yout…
News
PA Daycare Worker, Mom, BF Made Children Perform Sex Acts: Affidavit
Multiple videos found on a man's phone of young children being sexually abused or being forced to commit sex acts by and on a daycare employee and Mechanicsburg mom have led to two arrests in Cumberland County, according to court documents received by Daily Voice on Monday, Sept. 16. Morgan Rothenhoefer, 24, of Mechanicsburg, has been charged with the following felonies: corruption of minors, five counts of filming a sex act of a child, deviate sexual intercourse of a child, aggravated indecent assault with a child under 13, and child rape. Jamie Souders, 41, of Middlesex, has be…
News
PA Jehovah's Witness Member Convicted Of Sexually Abusing 4-Year-Old: AG
A Jehovah's Witness member from Philadelphia has been convicted of sexually abusing of a young child in 1988, authorities said on Tuesday, Sept. 17 David Balosa, 62, was one of five defendants arrested in 2023, as previously reported by Daily Voice. Balosa was accused of sexually assaulting a 4-year-old child while staying with a family in his congregation, authorities previously said. Balosa was convicted Monday, Sept. 16 of two felony counts of aggravated indecent assault and related misdemeanors after a weeklong trial, according to a press release by Pennsylvania Attorney Gene…
Police & Fire
4-Month-Old Infant Found Unresponsive Rushed To
Upmc
, Dad Charged: Police
A 28-year-old man is in jail after an infant was found unresponsive in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, Sept. 11, police announced. Seth Williams of Pittsburgh has been charged with five felony counts of Aggravated Assault, and two counts of Endangering the Welfare of Children, the police explained. The police first became aware of the incident after someone found the unresponsive 4-month-old boy and brought the baby to a hospital "with visible signs of abuse," as stated by police. Due to his "multiple severe injuries", the infant was transferred to UPMC Children’s Hospital where …
News
Man Accused Of Raping 2 Girls At PA Home: DA
A 32-year-old man from Berks County has been arrested in connection with the rape of two girls at a home in Reading, one when she was 11 years old, authorities said on Friday, Sept. 6. Janson G. Paz-Ochoa of Shillington was charged with rape, rape of a child, and multiple other offenses, according to the Berks County District Attorney's Office. He was arrested on Aug. 27 and is due to reappear in court on Sept. 13, court records show. Berks County District Attorney’s detectives received a childline referral on April 12 from the state Department of Human Services which reported that a&n…
News
Death Penalty Sought For Woman Accused Of Killing Pittsburgh Friend's Baby, Abusing Twin
The death penalty is being sought against a PhD student from New Jersey who is accused of killing an infant boy and abusing his twin brother in Pennsylvania, according to court records obtained by Daily Voice on Friday, Sept. 6. Nicole Virzi, 30, a PhD student who graduated from Northern Highlands Regional High School, was charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, child endangerment, and more in connection with the incidents last June. The Allegheny County District Attorney's Office filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty in Virzi's case on Thursday,…
News
3-Year-Old Ayla Miller Beaten To Death By PA Grandma Johnson: Affidavit
A 56-year-old grandmother is accused of beating her 3-year-old granddaughter to death over Labor Day weekend, Pittsburgh Public Safety announced on Sunday, Sept. 1. Denise Johnson of Pittsburgh's North Side has been charged with criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse, aggravated assault, corruption of minors, and endangering the welfare of children, according to the police and court records. The charges stem from an investigation by homicide detectives after her 3-year-old granddaughter Ayla Miller was found dead by other family members — including another child — in Johnson's apartment, as …
News
Teacher, Scout Leader Snapchat Student Nude Selfie: PA State Police
A former teacher and Boy Scout leader has been charged with sending a child inappropriate messages to a former student on Snapchat, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice on Wednesday, Aug. 21. Ryan Gibbon Stewart, 47, Jonestown, Lebanon County, was a Boy Scout leader and father of four children who taught in both the Northern Lebanon and Susquehanna Township school districts, according to the Pennsylvania State Police and public records. The current Northern Lebanon School District student received a "dick pic" — that turned out to be a full-frontal nude image — from a for…
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