Rape case moves to county court
EVANS CITY — A Harmony man of the Jehovah’s Witnesses faith who is accused of sexually assaulting a minor girl saw some charges dropped, but most proceed to county Common Pleas Court, it was decided at a preliminary hearing Tuesday.
Of 13 total charges, six were dropped in the case against Shaun Sheffer, 45, who is accused of abusing a female over the course of five years, according to the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General.
The female, now 35, said Tuesday the abuse started when she was 7 years old and ended when she was 12 years old.
The woman also testified Tuesday to having diagnosed mental illnesses, and was unable to speak until the age of 4.
According to court documents, investigators determined that Sheffer was part of the Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation in Zelienople.
The woman’s identity was discovered through the religious organization’s documentation of an investigation into Sheffer’s conduct, investigators said.
Sheffer was charged July 5 with three counts each of rape, indecent deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault and indecent assault and one count of corruption of minors.
On Tuesday, Sheffer appeared before District Judge Amy Marcinkiewicz with attorney Benjamin Steinberg.
Alicia Werner, of the Attorney General’s office, called the woman to testify to the alleged abuse.
During initial questioning, the woman said she was affected “very badly” by mental illness as a child, not speaking until the age of 4.
In her 20s, the woman said, she was diagnosed as “part autistic with Asperger’s.”
She said the abuse began when she was 7 years old, when Sheffer would touch himself inappropriately and have her watch. Documents showed Sheffer would have been 18 at the time.
The woman testified that Sheffer raped her 50 to 75 times.
She also told Werner the abuse occurred often.
“Every time that we were alone,” she said.
The woman said Sheffer stopped abusing her when she was 12.
During final argument, Steinberg said the commonwealth has not met the burden of proof for the three counts each of indecent deviate sexual intercourse and aggravated indecent assault.
Marcinkiewicz agreed, holding the remaining three counts of rape, three counts of indecent assault and one count of corruption of minors over to county Common Pleas Court.
Sheffer is scheduled to appear for formal arraignment Sept. 5.
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.
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.
In October 2022, another Butler County member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses faith, Eric Eleam, 61, was charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault and endangering the welfare of a child. Eleam died by suicide in Oct. 27, according to investigators.
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. Isovitsch is alleged to have sexually assaulted a 9-year-old girl.
During the investigation, the Attorney General’s office also 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.
