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Child sexual abuse charges filed against PA Jehovah's Witnesses

Today, Pennsylvania’s Acting Attorney General Michelle Henry announced criminal charges against five men for child sexual abuse.

Each defendant and their victims were members of Jehovah’s Witness congregations and some were family members, according to a statement from the AG’s office.

Charges have been filed in the counties of Butler, Allegheny, Beaver and Lancaster. In October 2022, prosecutors had filed charges against four other members of similar congregations in the state.

Four suspects between the ages of 42 and 74 have been arrested and detained, but 44-year-old Norman Aviles of Lancaster County is still at-large, said the AG in a release.

To report child sexual abuse, reach ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313 or online at DHS.PA.gov.