Jesse L. Roberts

An Armstrong County man was sentenced to state prison in Butler County Court Thursday, after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting two young girls.

Jesse L. Roberts, 31, of Leechburg was sentenced to 3 to 7 years in state prison by Butler County Judge William Shaffer. He was also ordered to pay court costs.

Roberts pleaded guilty April 3 to felony endangering the welfare of children and two counts of misdemeanor indecent assault.

He also will be required to register as a sexual offender for his lifetime.

Roberts was initially charged by Buffalo Township police with felony aggravated indecent assault of a child, aggravated indecent assault of a person less than 13 years old, endangering the welfare of children, two misdemeanor counts each of indecent assault of a person less than 13 years old, indecent assault of a person less than 16 yeas old and indecent assault, as well as one count each of misdemeanor indecent exposure and endangering the welfare of children after incidents between Jan. 1, 2016, and Aug. 31, 2017.

The remaining charges were dismissed as part of the plea.

The investigation began after a ChildLine report filed by a social worker with UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, about a 7-year-old child and 9-year-old child who were brought to the hospital Aug. 3.

The 7-year-old child reported that while asleep on a couch at her Sarver home, she was awakened by the baby sitter, later identified as Roberts, inappropriately touching her, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

During a forensic interview, the girl also reported that Roberts exposed himself before sexually assaulting her, court documents state.

She told authorities that incidents began when she was 6 years old, and her sister later told her that Roberts had assaulted her as well.

The girl also reported that Roberts threatened her, saying “if you tell after (and) if I get in trouble, you're going to get hurt,” according to the criminal complaint.

A forensic interview with the 9-year-old also revealed the same type of assaults happening to her, police said. Police said the girls reported the incidents to their mother, who then took them to the hospital to be evaluated.

The grandmother of the girls read a therapist's report of the now 8-year-old girl, saying that because of the incidents the girl has developed self-injury behaviors and has had to undergo family-based mental health services.

“This has changed our lives dramatically,” she said. “He took the innocence of my grandchildren.”

The girl's mother also spoke, saying that the family had to move out of their home and switch schools because of the incident.

“Their childhood home was no longer a home to them, they no longer felt safe,” she said.

She said the family brought Roberts into their home and “trusted you with their lives for six years, to baby-sit and keep them safe.”

“The guilt, anger and sadness has taken control of my life, because of your disgusting actions,” she said. “You took away their innocence, being the monster you are right in our own home. Truly you are evil.”

Roberts apologized during the proceeding, saying, “I am deeply sorry for my actions, and at times I don't know why I did it.”