Coatesville Man Sentenced to Over 20 Years in Prison

Justin GriestJustin Griest (Submitted Image)

WEST CHESTER, PA — Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan announce that on April 5, 2023, Judge Analisa Sondergaard sentenced 37-year-old Justin Griest of Coatesville to 22½-45 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 9-year-old victim on multiple occasions at a residence in South Coatesville and for exposing himself to the 9-year-old and an 11-year-old. The defendant pleaded guilty to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, endangering the welfare of children, and indecent assault. The judge also found him to be a Sexually Violent Predator.

“Griest is a child predator who violated his role as a trusted caretaker and engaged in horrific abuse of innocent and defenseless children. These children showed bravery and strength by coming forward to investigators about their abuse. We are very grateful that the defendant will be locked up for a long time and can no longer harm any child,” said Ryan.

According to the information presented to the court, in March of 2021, the Borough of South Coatesville Police Department received information that an 11-year-old victim and a 13-year-old victim had been sexually abused by the defendant when the victims were 9 years old and 11 years old, in the Spring of 2019. The defendant had been living in the same household as the children at the time the abuse occurred.

Investigators learned that in the Spring of 2019, the defendant began to expose himself to both the 9-year-old victim and the 11-year-old victim and would masturbate in front of the victims on multiple occasions while the mother was away from the residence. This abuse continued throughout 2019, until police officers received Childline reports in March 2021.

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On September 23, 2021, one of the victims disclosed that the defendant had performed forcible oral sex on the victim and subsequently had forced the victim to perform oral sex on him between May and July of 2019. These incidents all took place inside the same residence in Modena Borough, Chester County. All incidents occurred while the defendant was supervising the welfare of the children.

Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan commended the South Coatesville Borough Police Department for the investigation which led to the successful prosecution of Griest. Assistant District Attorney Zachary Yurick was the assigned prosecutor.

Call Childline at 1-800-932-0313 if you suspect a child is being abused.

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