WILKES-BARRE, PA — A Luzerne County man who previously led activities for a church youth program was convicted Friday of sexually abusing a young boy in the church basement between 2004 and 2006, adding a new set of convictions to an earlier case involving two girls.
Richard Garnett was found guilty after a four-day trial of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, indecent sexual assault, statutory sexual assault, endangering the welfare of children and corruption of minors, according to the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.
Garnett is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 21.
The Pennsylvania State Police investigation found Garnett served as the “Games Director” for the church’s youth programs, a position that gave him access to children of various ages, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
At trial, the victim testified that he was in first or second grade when Garnett took him from a classroom to a dark room in the church basement and sexually assaulted him. The victim recalled at least three assaults over roughly two years.
The victim also testified that after one assault, Garnett made him wash his hands and instructed him not to tell anyone. Garnett told the boy, “God would want you to do this,” according to the testimony described by prosecutors.
“This defendant used his position as an educator and leader within the church to exploit vulnerable children,” Attorney General Dave Sunday said. He also credited the survivor for coming forward and investigators and prosecutors for pursuing the case.
The conviction follows Garnett’s 2021 guilty pleas involving the sexual assault of two girls. He received a prison sentence with a minimum term of six years in that case, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
Chief Deputy Attorney General Angela Sperrazza and Deputy Attorney General Mary Phillips of the office’s Child Predator Section prosecuted the latest case.
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