HARRISBURG, PA — Shaun Sheffer, 47, of Harmony, has been sentenced to 14 to 34 years in state prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting a pre-teen child over a five-year period, beginning when the victim was just seven years old. The sentence was announced by Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday.
Sheffer was found guilty in January by a Butler County jury on three counts of rape, three counts of indecent assault, and one count of corruption of minors. His crimes came to light during an investigation by the 49th Investigating Grand Jury, which examined reports of sexual abuse within Jehovah’s Witnesses congregations.
“For years, this defendant betrayed the trust of the victim, taking advantage of their age and mental disability in order to sexually assault a child,” said Attorney General Sunday. “The courage of this brave survivor to come forward and the tenacity of our investigators and prosecutors means this defendant will pay for his despicable crimes.”
The investigation revealed that the abuse occurred between 1995 and 2000 in Butler County, where Sheffer was a close acquaintance of the victim, targeting them during their most vulnerable years, between the ages of seven and 12.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Alicia Werner, with the sentence reflecting the severity of the crimes. This outcome, according to authorities, underscores the importance of holding perpetrators of sexual abuse accountable and ensuring justice for survivors.
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