New Kensington police accuse Jeannette man of sexually assaulting girl, who became pregnant

New Kensington police have charged a Jeannette man with sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl, who became pregnant.

Police said they began investigating last September after getting a report that a teen had given birth to a son in November 2019 at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh.

The father was identified as Marcus Franklin Crawford, 25, who police said in a criminal complaint is seven years and seven months older than the girl. Police said the child was conceived when the girl was 15 and unable to legally give consent under Pennsylvania’s age of consent statute.

Police said they interviewed the girl several times, including a forensic interview in October. Police said she told them she met Crawford in May 2018, shortly after her 15th birthday when she was living in New Kensington.

Police said when they interviewed Crawford in November, he admitted having sex and smoking marijuana with the girl the day he met her.

Police said the girl told officers she and Crawford had been together for more than 18 months. Crawford moved in with her and her mother in September 2018, and they got engaged in November 2018.

Based on the child’s date of birth and that the girl had a full-term pregnancy, police said the child would have been conceived in March 2019, when the girl was 15.

Police said Crawford told them he did not know the girl was 15 when they first met. He claimed that he did not find out her age until after she was pregnant, which was several weeks before her 16th birthday.

Police said Crawford “commented several times that he regrets not checking about her age,” and that “he felt betrayed that the victim didn’t tell him” her age.

The girl told police that Crawford had gotten physical with her during their time together, and that he bought cocaine a couple of times, which they used together in spring 2018, according to the complaint. She claimed Crawford wanted her to smoke marijuana with cocaine during her pregnancy, telling her it would not hurt the baby, but she refused.

Crawford did not have an attorney listed in court records.

Crawford is charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, sexual assault, corruption of minors and indecent assault.

He was arraigned Wednesday before New Kensington District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr. and sent to Westmoreland County Prison after failing to post $75,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 1.