HARRISBURG—Attorney General Michelle Henry announced today that a jury has convicted a Bedford County man of felony sexual assault charges for illegal contact with a juvenile student while he was employed at Bedford Area High School.
A Bedford County jury returned guilty verdicts late Thursday against 25-year-old Jarrod Clapper to felony counts of institutional sexual assault and unlawful contact with a minor, and misdemeanor corruption of a minor.
Clapper will be sentenced on May 26, 2023. He was remanded to the Bedford County Correctional Facility after the verdict.
“My office will do everything in its power to make sure that Pennsylvania schools are places of learning and student development, rather than grounds for offenders to perpetrate crimes,” AG Henry said. “This defendant used his position with the school to take advantage of a teenage student. The acts were despicable and we commend the jury for its careful consideration of the evidence.”
Prosecutors presented evidence at the trial that Clapper worked in the school district’s Information Technology department when he assaulted the 17-year-old student.
Bedford County authorities referred the case to the Office of Attorney General for investigation and prosecution. The case was prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Philip M. McCarthy.
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