Victims and defendants in all five cases were member of Jehovah’s Witness congregations; arrests follow sexual abuse charges against four different members of Jehovah’s Witness congregations in October 2022
HARRISBURG– Acting Attorney General Michelle Henry today announced the filing of criminal charges against five individuals from Pennsylvania: Marc Brown, of Allegheny County; Raymond Shultz, of Beaver County; Abimael Valentin-Matos, of Lancaster County; Kevin Isovitsch, of Butler County; and Norman Aviles, also of Lancaster County, for the sexual assault and exploitation of children. In each case, all of the defendants and their victims were members of Jehovah’s Witness congregations. These arrests follow charges filed against four other members of Jehovah’s Witness congregations in October 2022.
“The details of these crimes are sad and disturbing, facts which are made even more abhorrent because the defendants used their faith communities or their own families to gain access to victims,” said Acting Attorney General Michelle Henry. “Our office will never stop working to seek justice for those who have been victimized, and we will continue to investigate and prosecute anyone who harms the most vulnerable in our society.”
The charges stem from the 49th Investigating Grand Jury and are charged by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Through the investigation, it was revealed that these men sexually abused and exploited minors with whom they had close contact, in some cases members of their own family.
The defendants are being prosecuted by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General for the following offenses:
- Marc Brown, 65, of Allegheny County, is alleged to have sexually abused two young sisters who were between the ages of ten and 13, and for whom he was the legal guardian. Brown has been charged with Aggravated Indecent Assault, Indecent Assault, Endangering the Welfare of Children, and Corruption of Minors.
- Raymond Shultz, 74, of Beaver County, is alleged to have sexually abused his granddaughters when they were between the ages of five and ten years-old. Shultz has been charged with Aggravated Indecent Assault, Indecent Assault, Endangering the Welfare of Children, and Corruption of Minors.
- Abimael Valentin-Matos, 42, of Lancaster County, is alleged to have sexually assaulted a 15 year-old girl, who he was supposedly “courting” to eventually marry even though he was twice her age. Matos has been charged with Indecent Assault, Indecent Exposure, Endangering the Welfare of Children, and Corruption of Minors.
- Kevin Isovitsch, 51, of Butler County, is alleged to have sexually assaulted his niece, who was nine years-old. Isovitsch has been charged with Rape, Aggravated Indecent Assault, Indecent Assault, Endangering the Welfare of Children, and Corruption of Minors.
- Norman Aviles, 44, of Lancaster County, is alleged to have molested at least three young children between the ages of five and ten. Aviles was an elder in his congregation, which helped him gain the trust of many parents and afforded him access to their children. Aviles has been charged with Aggravated Indecent Assault, Indecent Assault, Endangering the Welfare of Children, and Corruption of Minors.
The charges in these cases have been filed in the corresponding counties of Allegheny, Beaver, Lancaster, and Butler. Brown, Shultz, Matos, and Isovitsch have all been arrested and detained, Aviles is still at large.
Anyone with information regarding child sexual abuse should make a report to ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313, and anyone with additional information regarding these cases should make a report to the Office of Attorney General’s hotline at 888-538-8541. These cases are being prosecuted by Chief Deputy Attorney General Christopher Jones. All charges are allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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