Man gets jail for sex with girl, 14
NORRISTOWN » A North Coventry man is headed to prison for having sexual contact with a 14-yearold girl in Pottstown.
Devin Michael Rittenbaugh, 23, of the 200 block of Root Avenue, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 1½ to three years in a state correctional facility after he pleaded guilty to felony charges of statutory sexual assault and corruption of a minor of a sexual nature in connection with incidents that occurred between December 2016 and April 2017.
Judge William R. Carpenter, who accepted a plea agreement in the case, said Rittenbaugh must report to prison on April 6 to begin serving the sentence.
Rittenbaugh also must complete seven years’ probation, meaning he will be under court supervision for 10 years. The
judge ordered that Rittenbaugh be evaluated for sex offender supervision during the probationary period and he ordered Rittenbaugh to have no contact with the victim.
As a result of the conviction, Rittenbaugh also must register his address
with state police for 15 years, under state sexual offender registration regulations.
An investigation began in April 2017 when Pottstown detectives received information regarding possible child abuse. Specifically the referring party claimed that a 14-year-old girl told her father that Rittenbaugh, then 22, took her to a hotel in Pottstown and that
they did “sexual things,” according to the criminal complaint filed by Pottstown Detective Brooke Fisher.
Detectives subsequently interviewed the girl, who reported Rittenbaugh picked her up at her father’s residence in Lehigh County and took her to a hotel in Pottstown where Rittenbaugh had sexual contact with her, according to the arrest affidavit.
The girl told authorities that her mother found text messages in which the girl discussed the event with Rittenbaugh.
The investigation determined that Rittenbaugh did register at the Comfort Inn in Pottstown on one night, Dec. 22, 2016, according to the arrest affidavit. Rittenbaugh provided his personal information when he checked
in to the hotel, detectives said.
Detectives also retrieved incriminating text message conversations between Rittenbaugh and the girl, during which he described the sexual contact.
“This is why I should have never gotten involved with a 14 year old,” Rittenbaugh allegedly wrote in one text message.
In another text message Rittenbaugh wrote, “…like seriously what 22 year old would want to be with a 14 year old?! That’s just creepy,” according to court documents.
Other charges of aggravated indecent assault and indecent assault of someone less than 16 years old were dismissed against Rittenbaugh as part of the plea agreement.