New Stanton man to serve up to 3 years in prison for child sexual assault

A New Stanton man will serve up to three years in prison for the sexual assault of a young girl, his third child victim in more than a decade, according to Westmoreland County prosecutors.

Paul E. Chamberlain, 33, pleaded guilty Tuesday to three counts of indecent assault for improper sexual contact with a now 18-year-old girl who told police the sexual assaults started in 2008 when she was just 6 years old and continued until 2012.

According to court records, the victim told police Chamberlain would sneak into her bedroom, where he improperly touched and threatened her, including one instance in which she claimed he scraped a knife across her arm.

Chamberlain pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor offenses and was sentenced by Westmoreland County Judge Christopher Feliciani to serve 18 to 36 months in prison. He will have a lifetime requirement to register as a sex offender, the judge said.

As a condition of the plea bargain, prosecutors dismissed more serious counts of aggravated indecent assault, charges that were filed just before Chamberlain’s preliminary hearing late last year.

Assistant District Attorney Pete Caravello said Chamberlain’s accuser signed off on the plea bargain.

“She wanted to put it behind her and get on with her life,” Caravello said.

Chamberlain, according to court records, pleaded guilty to corruption of minors in 2008 in connection with an incident in Greensburg and was sentenced to serve one year on probation. Prosecutors dismissed more serious attempted rape charges as part of a plea bargain. A year later, Chamberlain pleaded guilty to charges of simple assault and making a terroristic threat and sentenced to serve up to 23 months in jail.

In 2012, Chamberlain pleaded guilty to another corruption of minors charge in Greensburg. He received a 23-month jail sentence, court records show.