Indiana County man released from jail awaits trial on alleged child porn possession

An Indiana County man awaiting trial in Westmoreland County on charges that he possessed child pornography was released from jail Wednesday after unrelated charges that he killed a neighbor’s cat last month were dismissed.

Raymond Younger, 39, formerly of Penn Township, was detained in July after he was charged with cruelty to animals in Indiana County. Younger had been free on a $10,000 unsecured bond after he was charged by the state’s Attorney General’s Office in May 2018 with nearly two dozen felony counts of possession of child pornography.

He was arrested late last month on a bench warrant issued by Common Pleas Court Judge Rita Hathaway following the new charges in Indiana County. In that case, police said they had video of Younger throwing a neighbor’s cat out of his car window. Police said he then drove over the animal in a convenience store parking lot.

Deputy Attorney General Chuck Washburn said Wednesday those charges have since been dismissed by Indiana County officials.

“I’m not sure why, but I don’t expect it will be refiled,” Washburn said.

Defense attorney Lyle Dresbold said video evidence at Younger’s preliminary hearing in Indiana County did not support the charges.

Hathaway on Wednesday reinstated Younger’s bail and ordered that he have no contact with children as he awaits his pending trial.

State agents filed charges against Younger last year alleging that he uploaded child pornography to a website from his computer, according to court documents. Agents said they found 22 pictures and videos of child pornography during a search of his computers.