On September 2, 2020, Judge Scott Arthur Evans sentenced Joseph Allen Miller, 38, formerly of Elliottsburg, Pennsylvania, to a term of 10 to 20 years of imprisonment in a state penitentiary.  A jury convicted Miller of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, attempted aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, unlawful contact with a minor, disseminating sexually explicit materials to a minor, and corruption of minors.  During the sentencing hearing, the victim reflected on how the crimes and the trial process had impacted her.  “I was 15 years old, Joe.  You saw me as an easy target.  I didn’t have people that I trusted and I was lonely.  You saw that and used it to your advantage.  But you made a mistake.  You knew I loved you and thought I would protect you at all costs even if it killed me.  Well, you were wrong.”

Chief Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Gettle, who prosecuted the case, echoed the sentiments of the victim. “This case came down to manipulation—the defendant manipulated the victim from when he first reached out to her on social media.”  Gettle noted the remarkable strength the victim had shown throughout a lengthy court process.  Judge Evans stated that the defendant had been given a tremendous opportunity after conviction for a series of burglaries in Perry County in 2001.  Miller received an intermediate punishment sentence for those prior crimes.  “He had an incredible support system.  It is very troubling to see what he did with that great opportunity.”  Judge Evans determined that the current sentence must account for “the grooming, the acts, and the impact" of those acts.  The court also imposed a consecutive term of 48 months probation and classified Miller as a lifetime registrant under Megan’s Law.  Corporal Lee Tarasi of the Susquehanna Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the arrest and conviction of Miller.