WEST CHESTER, PA — Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan announced the arrest Friday of 31-year-old Ameer Sutton-Best of Parkesburg for raping a 13-year-old in July 2022, and soliciting sex, child pornography, and seeking assistance in solicitation from multiple other children. The defendant, a volunteer basketball coach at The Parkesburg Point Youth Center, is charged with rape, sexual abuse of children, corruption of minors, and related offenses. He is being held at Chester County Prison on $1 million bail set by Chester County Magisterial District Justice Nancy Gill.
“Ameer Sutton-Best is a child predator who preyed on young teen girls knowing their age and violating his position of trust. He had the audacity to try to buy his way out of this. Thankfully, these victims had the fortitude to report his reprehensible behavior,” said Ryan. “When the staff at The Point learned of the allegations, they immediately contacted law enforcement and Childline, which the law requires them to do as mandated reporters. While children are safer today because of this arrest, we believe there may be other victims of his out there. Anyone with information is encouraged to immediately contact Chester County Detectives.”
The allegations in the complaint are as follows:
On August 10, 2022, Parkesburg Police were contacted by The Point that the defendant, a volunteer basketball coach, was reported to have had sexual contact with a 13-year-old child. During an interview with the victim, investigators learned that earlier in the summer, she received text messages from the defendant that were sexual in nature. A second child victim had provided the defendant with the girls’ phone number.
The 13-year-old victim told police that in June or July, when she and a second victim were together at her house, the defendant texted the girl, asking her to meet him. The defendant later picked up the victim and drove her to a location in Parkesburg, where he ordered her into the back seat, forcibly pulled down her shorts, and raped her. The victim said that after the assault, the defendant drove her back home.
The victim said she blocked the defendant on her social media accounts, but he contacted her mother. The 13-year-old and her mother received phone calls and texts from acquaintances of the defendant asking them not to contact law enforcement and asking how this could “go away.”
Investigators reviewed inappropriate Snapchat messages between the defendant and a second victim, age 13. In an interview with the second victim, detectives learned that the defendant asked for the first victim’s phone number and that he told the defendant she was only 13. The defendant also sent the second 13-year-old victim pornography.
Detectives found two more victims – ages 14 and 13 – whom the defendant had sent inappropriate Snapchat messages. He asked one victim if she was into older men and asked the other victim to send him nude photos.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 22, 2022. Parkesburg Police and Chester County Detectives are investigating. ADA Christine Abatemarco is the assigned prosecutor.
The Chester County Detectives are asking anyone with information or who may also be a victim to call 610-344-6866.
Call Childline at 1-800-932-0313 if you suspect a child is being abused. Learn to recognize, react, and report child sexual abuse by taking a free virtual Stewards of Children workshop. Contact County Coordinator Elisa Mendoza at emendoza@chesco.org or 610-344-5576 for more information.
Information is subject to change at any time as additional details may emerge. Information, a criminal complaint, or an arrest is not a declaration of guilt. A suspect, arrestee, or defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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