Sex charges involving teen girl held for court

SHARON – A Sharon man is headed to court on sex assault charges for incidents involving a 14-year-old girl this summer at his home, police said.

Douglas E. Wheaton Jr., 36, of 392 Meek St., had all charges against him held to court at a preliminary hearing Wednesday before District Judge Dennis M. Songer, Sharon.

Wheaton is charged with four counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, 14 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault, according to court documents.

He is accused of having oral sex with a girl on two occasions between June 1 and Sept. 8, police said.

Wheaton was taken to Mercer County Jail after failing to post bond.



Man in shooting case put on probation in sex case

HERMITAGE – A man accused of helping set up a drug deal and robbery that resulted in the shooting death of a Sharon man was placed on probation Wednesday for a sex offense.

Alexander N. Lee, 28, of 395 New Castle Ave., Sharon, pleaded guilty in September to indecent assault for his actions July 14, 2008, at an apartment in the 1500 block of Parke Drive, Hermitage.

Mercer County Common Pleas Court Judge John C. Reed said he could not take into account the charges related to the shooting because that incident occurred after the indecent assault, nor a juvenile aggravated-assault conviction because it occurred when Lee was only 13.

Reed did take into account the fact that Lee had been molested by a member of the clergy, his mother had been in prison and had a drug problem, and that Lee served in the military. He ordered Lee to serve 2 years’ probation.

Lee is one of seven charged in the case surrounding the Nov. 6 shooting death of John B. Hosey III, 18, of Sharon. No one has been charged with killing Hosey.



Man charged with taping conversation with cop

HERMITAGE – A Hermitage man has been charged with intercepting an oral communication for secretly recording a conversation with a Hermitage detective.

Kevin N. Bailey, 27, of 3690 Fran Lane, went to the police station Nov. 17 for an interview in the investigation of a harassment complaint, police said.

During the interview, Bailey told Capt. Eric Jewell that he had recorded the conversation with Joel Ristvey Aug. 29 at Ristvey’s home on Timber Lane because he wanted to record Ristvey’s “lies,” police said.

Bailey claimed Ristvey had “railroaded” Bailey into pleading guilty on another harassment charge, and that other Hermitage policemen had lied and framed him in the past, police said.

Bailey claimed he did not know that it is illegal to record a conversation with someone without the other person’s knowledge, police said.

Bailey was arrested on a detainer by Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole for violating probation by contacting the victim in the first harassment case.

Hermitage police filed a new harassment charge for Bailey sending unwanted and harassing text messages to the woman Nov. 15 and 16.



Food collection breaks previous parade record

HERMITAGE – The 2009 Hermitage Holiday Light Parade was a record breaker in more ways than one.

Not only was the attendance of an estimated 22,000 to 24,000 the largest ever, but the amount of food paradegoers donated to Community Food Warehouse also broke a record.

Warehouse Executive Director Lori Weston said they had not weighed the food, yet, but added, “This is probably the most we’ve ever gotten.”

Lynette Hartenstein, who coordinates the food collection effort for the Shenango YMCA, said the food filled 2è vans; a single van was filled in 2008.

The collection probably doubled any previous year, she said.

Over time, people are remembering that non-perishable food items are collected at the parade, and Ms. Hartenstein hopes more and more people remember each year.

“We’re hoping that it will become a tradition and people know what they’re supposed to do,” she said.