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5 Jehovah's Witnesses Sexually Abused Child Family Members, PA AG Says

Five additional members of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Pennsylvania are now facing multiple charges after allegedly sexually abusing children, Pennsylvania’s Acting Attorney General Michelle Henry announced at a press conference on Tuesday, February 7, 2023. 

Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Lancaster.

Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Lancaster.

Photo Credit: Google Maps (Street View)

All of the men, between the ages of 42-74, abused family members between the ages of 5 and 15, the AG says.

The defendants are being prosecuted by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General for the following offenses:

  • Marc Brown, 65, of Allegheny County, is alleged to have sexually abused two young sisters who were between the ages of ten and 13, and for whom he was the legal guardian. Brown has been charged with Aggravated Indecent Assault, Indecent Assault, Endangering the Welfare of Children, and Corruption of Minors.
  • Raymond Shultz, 74, of Beaver County, is alleged to have sexually abused his granddaughters when they were between the ages of five and ten years old. Shultz has been charged with Aggravated Indecent Assault, Indecent Assault, Endangering the Welfare of Children, and Corruption of Minors.
  • Abimael Valentin-Matos,42, of Lancaster County, is alleged to have sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl, who he was supposedly “courting” to eventually marry even though he was twice her age. Matos has been charged with Indecent Assault, Indecent Exposure, Endangering the Welfare of Children, and Corruption of Minors.
  • Kevin Isovitsch, 51, of Butler County, is alleged to have sexually assaulted his niece, who was 9 years old. Isovitsch has been charged with Rape, Aggravated Indecent Assault, Indecent Assault, Endangering the Welfare of Children, and Corruption of Minors.
  • Norman Aviles, 44, of Lancaster County, is alleged to have molested at least three young children between the ages of five and ten. Aviles was an elder in his congregation, which helped him gain the trust of many parents and afforded him access to their children. Aviles has been charged with Aggravated Indecent Assault, Indecent Assault, Endangering the Welfare of Children, and Corruption of Minors.

The Lancaster County Jehovah's Witness facility where Aviles was an elder is next to a school, according to Google Maps. 

The Attorney General’s office says survivors reached out to their office after offering a hotline for victims to reach out following the initial four cases, Daily Voice previously reported.

“The details of these crimes are sad and disturbing, facts which are made even more abhorrent because the defendants used their faith communities or their own families to gain access to victims,” said Henry. “Our office will never stop working to seek justice for those who have been victimized, and we will continue to investigate and prosecute anyone who harms the most vulnerable in our society.”

This is an ongoing investigation and the AG would not comment on whether congregations were aware of the alleged abuse. The investigation also involved police in Idaho and these cases are being prosecuted by Chief Deputy Attorney General Christopher Jones. 

Anyone with information regarding child sexual abuse is encouraged to report information to the Office of the Attorney General’s office hotline at 888-538-8541. Anyone with information regarding child sexual abuse should make a report to ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313.

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