A Rew man was convicted of sexually assaulting a young girl in his care after a jury trial in McKean County Court Thursday.
50-year-old Shawn Prentiss Sr. was babysitting the victim between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2018, while the child was under the age of 13-years-old.
The jury convicted Prentiss of felony Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse, felony Attempted Rape of a Child and Indecent Assault of a Child.
The Presiding Judge also found Prentiss guilty of Harassment.
The District Attorney’s Office advised that it will seek an enhanced penalty as permitted under Pennsylvania law, due to factors such as the child’s age and the nature of Prentiss’ contact with the victim.
Upon the conviction, the Judge increased Prentiss’ bail.
Due to the sexual nature of the crimes, Prentiss is required to be evaluated by the Sexual Offenders’ Assessment Board prior to sentencing to determine if he meets the definition of “sexually violent predator” within 90 days.
Sentencing will be announced by subsequent order after receipt of the evaluation.
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