CHARGES AGAINST FOUR MEN FOR SEXUAL ABUSE WERE MEMBERS OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESS
(For Immediate Release October 27, 2022)
Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced criminal charges against four individuals in Pennsylvania, Jesse Hill, formerly of Berks County and now a resident of the state of Georgia, Jose Serrano of Lancaster County, Eric Eleam of Butler County, and Robert Ostrander, formerly of Cambria County and now a resident of New York, for the sexual assault and exploitation of children. In each case, all of the defendants’ victims were minors and members of Jehovah’s Witness congregations.
The details of these crimes are horrifying. Our hearts go out to the victims who bravely shared their truth, and we hope that they are receiving the support and professional assistance that they require. No child should ever experience the feeling of terror and fear, let alone sexual abuse.
The 49th Investigating Grand Jury in Pennsylvania determined these charges and are brought by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office to be prosecuted by Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney General Dan Dye. The investigation found that these men sexually exploited and abused 19 minors with whom they had direct contact, which included their own children in some cases.
AG Shapiro and his team have been steadfast warriors on the side of victims. The OAG investigations of sexual abuse in Pennsylvania have been one of the most successful in the country in securing convictions. We hope AG Shapiro’s track record of arresting over 500 child predators will inspire anyone who suffered sexual abuse in any institution or religious denomination, to come forward and make a report using the AG’s confidential hotline at 888-538-8541.
We hope that today's announcement serves as another warning to anyone thinking of harming a child or covering up abuse, that they will face serious consequences. Every Jehovah's Witness official who knew about, suspected of or shielded these heinous crimes should be fired and charged with failing to report potential child sex crimes to law enforcement. That is how we will deter such callous disregard in the future as a society.
CONTACT: Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President, (814-341-8386, [email protected]) Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager (267-261-0578, [email protected]), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
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Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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