Jeannette man pleads guilty sex assault charges

A Jeannette man pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges related to what police said was the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl in Hempfield.

Westmoreland County prosecutors contended Steven Alan Deluke, 42, had sexual contact with the teen following a night of heavy alcohol consumption in August 2018.

In court on Tuesday, Deluke pleaded guilty to felony counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault and misdemeanor charges of corruption of a minor and simple assault. The prosecution dismissed six other offenses including one count of rape.

Assistant District Attorney Kelly Hammers said Deluke faces at least eight years in prison as a result of Tuesday’s guilty plea. He will be sentenced in about three months by Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio.

Hammers said DNA collected from Deluke’s accuser linked him to the charges to which he pleaded guilty.

According to police the girl claimed she was asleep in her bedroom and awoke to find Deluke touching her private area and that he later ripped off her pants and forced her to have sex before she swung a lamp in an effort to ward him off.

Deluke was arrested in Kentucky about a month after he was charged in connection with the sexual assault allegations.

Defense attorney Tim Dawson said Tuesday Deluke was working in the oil industry and was on a job out of state when the warrant for his arrest was issued.

“He pleaded guilty to spare the victim and her family a very difficult trial,” Dawson said.