HARRISBURG — Attorney General Michelle Henry announced that an Armstrong County man was sentenced to 9 to 25 years in prison for sexual offenses and assaults against three young women between the ages of 16 and 20.
Following a week-long trial in October, Zachary Baum, 25, was convicted of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual abuse of children, corruption of minors, indecent assault, strangulation, stalking, and simple assault.
“This defendant used social media as a means to prey on potential victims and commit sexual and other physical assaults,” said Attorney General Henry. “This conviction and significant prison sentence would not have been possible without the brave survivors who told their stories to a jury. My office is committed to protecting victims and holding violent predators accountable for their crimes.”
During the trial, the jury heard testimony from the victims, who described how the defendant used platforms, like Snapchat and Facebook, to contact them. Baum was relentless, consistently messaging the girls until he convinced them to meet him.
Between 2020 and 2022, the victims were subjected to sexual assault, strangulation, and other physical assaults.
This case was investigated and charged by the Pennsylvania State Police in Kittanning and was referred to the Office of Attorney General by the Armstrong County District Attorney’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Kara Rice and Deputy Attorney General Daniel Gleixner.
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