5 Pa. Jehovah's Witnesses accused of child sex abuse following grand jury investigation

[FakeNoose]

(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2023/02/07/child-sexual-abuse-charges-jehovahs-witness-pa-marc-brown-raymond-schultz-kevin-isovitch/stories/202302070110

Five members from Jehovah’s Witness congregations from across Pennsylvania are facing child sex abuse charges as the state’s acting attorney general continues to urge survivors to come forward and report their abuse.

The charges against the five men are the result of an investigating grand jury, and in each case the men and their victims were members of Jehovah’s Witness congregations, acting Attorney General Michelle Henry announced Tuesday.

Four of the men were arrested, while one man, Norman Aviles of Lancaster County, is still at large and is wanted on 20 charges, prosecutors said.

The new cases come after four Jehovah’s Witness members were charged last October by then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro with the sexual assault and exploitation of 19 children.

Ms. Henry said Tuesday those initial cases stemmed from a referral from a local district attorney’s office, which grew to a three-year investigation with 100 of hours of testimony from dozens of witnesses.

- more at link, including the names of the 5 accused by the grand jury -

The District Attorney's office is still accepting anonymous tips, and anyone with information regarding child sexual abuse can report it at ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313.

[lkinwi]

1. Not surprising. That so-called religion has a history of not reporting abuse cases.