Minor
Luzerne County man charged with sexual assault of a minor
Luzerne County man charged with sexual assault of a minor
HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Luzerne County man faces charges for allegedly sexually assaulting a child he communicated with through Facebook messages. Attorney General Dave Sunday announced the arrest and charges on Tuesday.
William James Christian Jr., a board member at the Lehigh & Keystone Valley Model Railroad Museum, was taken into custody on Tuesday. He is charged with multiple offenses, including unlawful contact with a minor, indecent assault, and disseminating explicit sexual material to a minor.
Bail for Christian, 30, from Dupont, was set at $125,000 during his arraignment on Tuesday. As a condition of his bail, he is prohibited from having internet access, unsupervised contact with minors, and involvement with the model railroad museum.
“This defendant used a common interest — enthusiasm for trains — to groom and prey on a young person,” Attorney General Sunday stated. “The defendant is charged with soliciting sexual messages from the victim, and assaulting them, over a period of many months.”
Investigators revealed that Christian exchanged messages with a 15-year-old over a year. The messages varied from discussions about model trains to sexual comments and imagery. The physical assaults reportedly
Uniontown Man Sentenced for Crimes Against Minor via Social Media
Uniontown Man Sentenced for Crimes Against Minor via Social Media
**HARRISBURG, PA** – Attorney General Dave Sunday announced a prison sentence for Derek Allen Reed, a Fayette County resident, for his criminal activities involving a minor. Reed, 35, of Uniontown, has been sentenced to five to 15 years for contacting a young girl on social media, sending her inappropriate images, and attempting to meet her for a sexual encounter.
Reed was apprehended at the arranged meeting location in June 2023. In November, he admitted guilt to several felony charges, including unlawful contact with a minor and distributing explicit material to a minor.
After serving his prison term and parole, Reed will undergo five years of probation. Additionally, he is required to register as a sex offender for 25 years under the law.
Attorney General Sunday remarked on the case, highlighting the risks of social media misuse by predators. Senior Deputy Attorney General Angela Raver led the prosecution against Reed. Reed had initially met the 15-year-old victim at an ex-girlfriend’s home and later communicated with her on platforms like Facebook and Snapchat.
Man Convicted of Sexual Assault of a Minor in Butler County
Man Convicted of Sexual Assault of a Minor in Butler County
**HARRISBURG, PA** — Attorney General Michelle Henry announced the conviction of a Butler County man for sexually assaulting a pre-teen child. The conviction follows charges against 45-year-old Shaun Sheffer, who was accused in 2023 after a Statewide Investigating Grand Jury made recommendations against multiple Jehovah’s Witnesses members.
Sheffer was convicted this week on three counts of rape, including the rape of a person with a mental disability, as well as three counts of indecent assault. His sentencing is scheduled for February.
Attorney General Henry highlighted the vulnerability of the victim based on their age and mental disability. Henry expressed gratitude to the grand jurors, the trial jurors, and the victim for their roles in the proceedings.
The charges were part of the 49th Investigating Grand Jury’s findings, with the abuse occurring between 1995 and 2000 in Butler County. Testimonies revealed that Sheffer was a close acquaintance of the victim, who was between seven and 12 years old during the assaults. The case was led by Senior Deputy Attorney General Alicia Werner.
