Former Jehovah's Witness sentenced for child sexual assault

A Butler County man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for sexually assaulting a pre-teen child, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said.

Shaun Sheffer, 47, of Harmony was found guilty in January of three counts each of rape and indecent assault, including assault of a person less than 13 who had a mental disability. He also was convicted of corruption of minors.

The assaults occurred between about 1995 and 2000 in Butler County, when the victim was between the ages of 7 and 12, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.

Sheffer was among more than a dozen people from across the state who were charged following the grand jury investigation of child sexual abuse in the Jehovah’s Witnesses community, a church which got its start in the Pittsburgh area.

Former Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry said the incidents dated back years or decades.

Authorities suggested Jehovah Witnesses elders treated child sexual abuse as a sin rather than a crime and failed to report allegations to law enforcement.

Church officials previously denied those claims and argued its internal policies allow members to make sexual assault reports.

Dozens of witnesses testified before the closed-door grand jury in Harrisburg or provided information to the attorney general’s office.

Sheffer was sentenced to 14 to 34 years in prison.

“For years, this defendant betrayed the trust of the victim, taking advantage of their age and mental disability in order to sexually assault a child,” Sunday said. “The courage of this brave survivor to come forward and the tenacity of our investigators and prosecutors means this defendant will pay for his despicable crimes.”