A Latrobe man pleaded guilty Thursday to sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.
Christofer R. Dowden, 23, has been in jail since his arrest in December 2020 and will remain behind bars for at least the next year under the terms of a proposed sentence. It was part of a plea bargain deal that saw Westmoreland County prosecutors dismiss three additional felony charges.
“We are proposing a mitigated-range sentence because he will not get credit for the two years he has already served,” said Assistant District Attorney Leo Ciaramitaro.
Dowden pleaded guilty to charges of sexual assault and possession of child pornography.
“I know what I did was wrong. It wasn’t right what I did,” Dowden said.
According to court records, the investigation was launched in July 2020 when the mother of a 14-year-old girl contacted state police after she found explicit images and videos on her daughter’s social media account.
The woman provided state troopers with the suspect’s computer user name and account information.
Police said investigators found communications between Dowden and the minor on his cellphonewhen the girl was 14. According to court records, Dowden attempted to meet the girl at his home for sex.
Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger said he will sentence Dowden to serve one year, less a day, to two years, less a day, in the county jail. A sentencing hearing will be conducted in about three months after Dowden undergoes an evaluation to determine if he is a sexually violent predator.
According to court records, at the time of his arrest Dowden was on probation for a prior incident involving a minor. In that case, Dowden pleaded guilty to illicit contact with a minor and was sentenced to serve 23 months on house arrest.
