UPDATE: from pennlive:
702. Pavlovich Sentencing scheduled for July 1
by SteveHbgPa, 6/10/09 12:04 ET
New Bloomfield, PA — June 10, 2009 — Former Perry County police officer Robert J. Pavlovich Jr. is scheduled for sentencing on July 1, 2009 at 10:30 a.m., in Court Room 2 of the Perry County Courthouse, 25 West Main Street, New Bloomfield, PA. The Sexual Offenders Assessment Board report finding that Pavlovich is a “Sexually Violent Predator” will be taken into consideration in the determination of Pavlovich’s sentencing according to a ruling made by Perry County President Judge Kathy A. Morrow.
In October, 2008, a jury found Pavlovich guilty of 10 counts of corruption of minors and one count each of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, unlawful contact with a minor, indecent assault of a child and bribery in official matters. He was accused of molesting or propositioning 15 girls and mentally handicapped women who were between the ages of 12 and 19 while he was on duty between 2000 and 2007.
ORIGINAL POST: Things have been busy.
It’s championship season in the high school world and that means schlepping kidlets here and there to cheer on their team. Unfortunately for them, the local high school teams play no more. There is still the cousin who is playing for a team half-way across the state, so we will probably go see her play in the championship game on Saturday.
At some location half-way across the state.
The election is over and, fortunately for most of us thinking folks, the best team won. A member of the losing team, for some strange reason, is finding herself unable to step out of the spotlight. Instead of heading back to Alaska to pay heed to her duties as governor of that immense state, she asks for (and receives) interview after interview. I laughed at the description from one reporter about being next in the door after Gretta von Sustern is done, with Matt Lauer still outside waiting for his turn at the “exclusive” interview.
I youtubed the Gretta interview and I watched part of Lauer’s interview on the Today Show during the past couple of days. Neither really ask her the tough questions and her answers in any case wouldn’t be much better than how’s she given them. An avalance of words is how I believe Charlie Gibson described her answers. If I had the time, or inclination, I’d transcribe those interviews and then pick ‘em apart, phrase-by-phrase. But I’ve spent the past 8+ weeks making fun of that dolt. Time to move on to other things or to return to things not completed.
That is unless Sarah Palin continues to stick her butt into the limelight.
So, when I last commented on something truly of local interest, and not involving car diarrhea, I was following the Perry County trial of an accused child molester. Not just any child molester, but one who spent more than 12 years as a police officer in at least 3 different municipalities. And one who was accused by over a dozen young teenaged girls of various acts.
That former police officer, Robert Pavlovich, Jr., was convicted of most of the charges against him. But the judge in the case has allowed Pavlovich to remain free on 250,000 bail. It’s not clear if Pavlovich will be evaluated as a sexual predator. For the sake of Harrisburg area community, I sure hope he is so evaluated.
Another item related to the Pavlovich trial which has caught my eye are comments posted on various central pennsyltucky internet forums – particularly those associated with newspapers – about the case. Two individuals – both identifying themselves as either law enforcement or police officers have taken it upon themselves to dog people who object to Pavlovich being out on bail. More on this if it develops.
The case was covered by several newspapers in the central pennsyltucky area, but the Perry County Times provided the best coverage within one article. It follows from google as thus:
“Jury finds Pavlovich guilty on 16 charges
Publication date: 10.30.08
A Perry County jury deliberated for nearly 10 hours before finding a former Marysville police officer guilty of sexual assault and 15 other charges.
Robert J. Pavlovich Jr., 40, of Camp Hill showed no emotion as the verdicts were read a little after 10 p.m., Oct. 25. Pavlovich and his attorney, P. Richard Wagner, avoided talking to reporters afterward.
President Judge Kathy A. Morrow allowed Pavlovich to remain free on $250,000 bail, but ordered him to report to the Perry County Probation Department on Oct. 27 for a presentence investigation. A date for sentencing has yet to be scheduled.
“Obviously, the commonwealth is very satisfied with the verdict,” said the prosecutor Jonelle Harter Eshbach, Senior Deputy Attorney General. “He was convicted of the most serious charges, and we’re very pleased with that.”
Pavlovich was found guilty of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person suffering from a mental disability, sexual assault, bribery in official matters, unlawful contact with a minor, two counts of indecent assault, and 10 counts of corruption of minors. He was found not guilty of nine other similar charges.
In November 2007, Pavlovich was arrested and charged with seven felonies and 17 misdemeanors, after the charges were brought before a statewide grand jury that accused him of molesting or propositioning 15 girls, ages 12-19, often while on duty. That same month, Marysville borough council fired him. The borough had suspended Pavlovich on paid administrative leave in March 2007.
The trial began Oct. 22, and lawyers on both sides rested on Oct. 24. Most of the victims told jurors that Pavlovich asked them to sneak out of their homes after curfew to meet him at various locations around the borough. Others testified Pavlovich told them he would alter breathalyzer tests after a DUI stop in Rye Twp.
“He told me to wear a miniskirt with no underwear on,” one victim tearfully testified.
Others testified Pavlovich had sexual contact with them. One victim said the abuse began when she was 12. Another victim, who suffers from mild mental retardation, said Pavlovich “persuaded” her to perform oral sex on him.
Another said Pavlovich had sex with her without her consent on the night of her 16th birthday party. She testified she was intoxicated and the last thing she remembered was getting into the patrol car and feeling a “sharp pain” in her groin. “I was raped by Officer Rob,” she told jurors. She also testified, along with others, that Pavlovich would allow minors to be intoxicated on drugs and/or alcohol in his presence. She also claimed Pavlovich had given her $20 to give to a friend so the friend could buy crack cocaine.
Pavlovich took the stand in his defense on the third day of testimony, and denied all the allegations. He said those making the allegations were either informants or under investigations related to drugs.
Eshbach asked Pavlovich why he couldn’t interview the girls in the police department in front of their parents. Pavlovich told her most of them had troubles at home, and that they were the ones who wanted to meet at various locations around the borough.
Pavlovich also admitted he tried committing suicide by taking prescription and nonprescription medications and alcohol twice in 2007, once after being suspended and the second time after the grand jury charges.
He told jurors he didn’t want to put his family “through this,” and that the suicide attempts had nothing to do with guilt or innocence.
He told jurors the day he was suspended, Mayor Deb Troutman declined to tell him the details of his suspension and he said that he found out about the reasons through news reports.
“It blew my mind. It was like getting hit in the face with a Louisville Slugger,” he told jurors.
Marysville Police Chief Carl Lehman said the department does not use juveniles as informants, and that he was unaware of the investigations to Pavlovich alluded, as information was constantly shared between officers. He did tell Wagner, however, that he was not aware of all incidents in the borough.
Wagner called the allegations rumors, and questioned the credibility of some of the victims, who admitted to having problems with drugs and alcohol. Three of the victims admitted to changing their preliminary hearing and trial testimonies, and at least one of them admitted to lying to Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Denny Grimm, who was the lead investigating officer.
Rye Twp. Cpl. Clinton Shoop said county dispatch sent Pavlovich to a DUI stop after Shoop called the incident in. He told jurors altering breathalyzer tests is difficult to do, since the system takes a while before purging the results.
Shoop also told jurors he overheard an argument between Grimm and someone whose name was brought up in the investigation.
“It got a little loud in there. (Grimm) looked a little hot, but I get a little hot too,” Shoop said.
One victim told Eshbach she was part of a blackmail scheme a friend devised against Pavlovich. She said she met Pavlovich and got into his car, where he kissed her neck. The friend tried to take pictures, but left after getting scared.
Wagner also noted some of the victims had prior criminal records, with one charged with theft twice after stealing money from a 91-year-old man. The victim said the money was to feed her drug habit.
Pavlovich wouldn’t speculate on why the victims would fabricate the stories, saying he was “not inside their heads. I’m not a psychologist.”
If sentenced to the maximum penalties to be served consecutively, Pavlovich faces up to 98 years in prison, and $400,000 in fines. Morrow told Pavlovich he was not allowed to come into the county and to have no contact with any of the victims or their families.
After court was adjourned, Pavlovich’s wife, Monica, shouted obscenities at Grimm. She and the rest of Pavlovich’s family, including his father, mother, brother and sister, cried while the verdict was read.
In 1995, Pavlovich was dismissed from his duties as a police officer in Manheim Twp., Lancaster County, after he was charged with indecent assault and corruption of minors against a 13-year-old female. In 1999, he was hired as a police officer in Duncannon, but resigned that same year to accept a position with Marysville’s police department.
The investigation began in 2006, after the Perry County district attorney’s office asked the state attorney general’s office to look into complaints the DA had received. The attorney general handled the case due to the DA’s office having dealt with Pavlovich as a police officer.
Eight victims filed civil suits in the U.S. Middle District Court, Harrisburg, in late 2007. The suits, naming Pavlovich, former Chief Jake Stoss and the borough as defendants, were settled out of court on Sept. 9, with two of the victims receiving $20,000 each as part of the out-of-court settlements. Information regarding settlement in the other cases was not released because the plaintiffs were not minors.
Staff writer Wade Fowler contributed to this report. “
3 Comments
November 12, 2008 at 7:55 pm
[...] She also testified, along with others, that Pavlovich would allow minors to be intoxicated on drugs and/or alcohol in his presence. She also claimed Pavlovich had given her $20 to give to a friend so the friend could buy crack cocaine. More [...]
November 12, 2008 at 8:50 pm
[...] Read more: Accused child molester convicted [...]
November 14, 2008 at 4:48 pm
It’s really the worst when it’s somebody who’s supposed to be keeping other people’s safety in mind.
Back in my high school there was a school counselor accused of the same thing.
It’s just sickening.
[Ed note: this guy had similar problems while he was at 2 other police departments. a dozen years ago, he worked at a different police department until he was charged, but somehow managed to avoid being convicted, with committing a similar crime against a teenaged girl. the rumors in perry county have been ongoing for years. only now has he actually been convicted. and there is the promised appeal. his attorney, at this early date, promises to submit new evidence. why that guy didn't just include it in the trial that ended less than 3 weeks ago is beyond my comprehension.]