Harmony man had ‘familiar relationship’ with victim, AG says
A Butler County man of the Jehovah’s Witnesses faith had a “familiar relationship” with a minor he is accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting beginning when she was 7 years old, according to Michelle Henry, Pennsylvania attorney general.
At a news conference held Friday, July 7 by the Office of Attorney General in Philadelphia, Henry announced that five more men of the faith have charged with assaulting minor victims.
One of those men, Shaun Sheffer, 45, of Harmony, is accused of abusing a family member from when she was 7 years old and until she was 12 years old. She is now 35 years old.
Investigators determined that Sheffer was part of the Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation in Zelienople.
He was charged Wednesday with three counts each of rape, indecent deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault and indecent assault and one count of corruption of minors.
“Sheffer had a familiar relationship with the victim and was often alone with her in her home without her parents’ supervision. It was during these times that he repeatedly raped and assaulted this young girl,” Henry said Friday.
Documents show the woman told a grand jury that Sheffer raped her approximately 50 to 75 times from 1995 to 2000, in addition to performing other sex acts. The woman was 7 years old when the assaults began, and Sheffer was 18.
The female testified to being “very afraid” of Sheffer, documents showed, and one witness described Sheffer as “mean, narcissistic, manipulative and controlling” during testimony to the grand jury.
Sheffer was arraigned Thursday, July 6, before District Judge Amy Marcinkiewicz in Evans City. He was placed in Butler County Prison in lieu of $300,000 bail.
His preliminary hearing before Marcinkiewicz is scheduled July 18.
Four other men of the Jehovah’s Witnesses faith also were charged this week: David Balosa, of Philadelphia County; Errol William Hall, of Delaware County; Terry Booth of Panama City, Fla.; and Luis Ayala-Velasquez, of Berks County.
Henry said Balosa has yet to be apprehended.
“The details of these crimes are sad and disturbing, facts which are made even more abhorrent because the defendants used their faith communities or their own families to gain access to victims,” Henry said. “Our office will never stop working to seek justice for those who have been victimized, and we will continue to investigate and prosecute anyone who harms the most vulnerable in our society.”
At the conclusion of the conference, Henry commended victims for telling their stories to the grand jury.
“I’m inspired by their strength,” she said. “Many of these offenses happened a long time ago ... the trauma endures for these victims.”
She said many victims came forward after hearing previous cases announced, and encouraged people to continue coming forward.
Henry said anyone with additional information regarding these cases should make a report to the Office of Attorney General’s hotline at 888-538-8541.
Henry said Friday that nine other men of the Jehovah’s Witnesses faith were previously arrested in connection to the wider investigation.
In each of their cases, the charges stem from a state grand jury investigation, which determined there was probable cause that the men sexually abused and exploited minors with whom they had close contact, in some cases members of their families.
Henry said investigation is ongoing.
Over the past eight months, two other Butler County men of the Jehovah’s Witnesses faith have been accused of sexually abusing and exploiting minors.
Eric Eleam, 61, was charged in October 2022 with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
Henry mentioned Eleam during the Friday conference. According to investigators, when agents from the attorney general’s office and police from Butler County attempted to take him into custody, he “retreated into his bathroom and killed himself behind closed doors.”
In February, Kevin Isovitsch, 51, of West Sunbury, was charged with rape, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, endangering the welfare of children and corruption of minors, by the attorney general’s office. He is alleged to have sexually assaulted a 9-year-old girl.
The attorney general’s office also has charged others associated with the faith. Criminal charges were filed against Marc Brown, of Allegheny County; Raymond Shultz, of Beaver County; Jesse Hill, formerly of Berks County; Robert Ostrander, formerly of Cambria County; and Abimael Valentin-Matos, Jose Serrano and Norman Aviles, all of Lancaster County.
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