HARRISBURG, PA — Attorney General Michelle Henry announced that an Armstrong County man was convicted Tuesday of multiple sexual offenses and domestic violence crimes against three young women between the ages of 16 and 20.
A jury returned guilty verdicts against 25-year-old Zachary Baum, following a week-long trial in Armstrong County Court. Baum was convicted of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual abuse of children, corruption of minors, indecent assault, strangulation, stalking, and simple assault.
The defendant will be required to undergo a Sexually Violent Predator evaluation and will be required to register as a sex offender for life.
The jury heard testimony from the victims, who described how the defendant used social media, like Snapchat and Facebook, to find and contact them. Baum was relentless, consistently messaging the girls until he convinced them to meet him.
The victims were subjected to sexual assault, strangulation, and other physical assaults.
“This defendant used social media to prey on potential victims and commit heinous sexual and physical assaults,” said Attorney General Henry. “Thanks to the brave survivors who came forward, and the hard work of law enforcement and this thoughtful jury, this serial predator will be held accountable.”
The defendant perpetrated these crimes between 2020 to 2022.
He will be sentenced on January 25, 2024. His bail was revoked and he was remanded to the Armstrong County Jail.
This case was investigated and charged by the Pennsylvania State Police in Kittanning and was referred to the Office of Attorney General by the Armstrong County District Attorney’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Kara Rice and Deputy Attorney General Daniel Gleixner.
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