McKean County man convicted of sexually assaulting child left in his care
A jury convicted Shawn Prentiss Sr. of sexually assaulting a child left in his care; sentencing is pending a sex-offender evaluation.
After a jury trial Sept. 24 at the McKean County Courthouse, Shawn Prentiss Sr. was convicted of Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse (victim under 13), Attempted Rape of a Child (victim under 13), Indecent Assault of a Child, and Harassment for assaults alleged to have occurred while he was babysitting the victim between Jan. 1, 2017 and Dec. 31, 2018. The jury found enhancements related to the victim’s age and that the indecent assault involved touching of sexual or intimate parts; the District Attorney’s Office said it will seek enhanced sentencing under Pennsylvania law. The judge raised Prentiss’s bail at the prosecutor’s request and ordered a Sexual Offenders’ Assessment Board evaluation (90 days) to determine whether he meets the definition of a sexually violent predator; sentencing will be scheduled after the evaluation.