Man draws prison for child sex assaults
A former Limerick man wept after a judge sent him to prison for what he called “reprehensible” actions, sexually assaulting two teenage boys who trusted him.
“I don’t deserve this,” Angelo Dunkerly-Adams, 42, said as Montgomery County sheriff’s deputies escorted him from a courtroom on Friday to begin serving a 9-to-18-year state prison sentence in connection with his contact with two boys, ages 14 and 16, while they visited his Limerick residence.
The sentence was imposed by Judge Todd D. Eisenberg and included consecutive prison time for some of the offenses to reflect there were two victims in the case.
“I think your actions were reprehensible. These children looked up to you and you took advantage of them,” Eisenberg addressed Dunkerly-Adams.
The judge also imposed seven years of consecutive probation, meaning Dunkerly-Adams, for
merly of the 3400 block of Pruss Hill Road, will be under court supervision for 25 years.
Dunkerly-Adams also faces a lifetime requirement to report his address to state police after he is paroled in order to comply with Pennsylvania’s Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act.
In March, a jury convicted Dunkerly-Adams of charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, sexual assault, indecent assault and corruption of minors in connection with his contact with the two boys.
The jury acquitted Dunkerly-Adams of charges of indecent assault and corruption of a minor in connection with his alleged inappropriate contact with a third boy, who was 7.
Before learning his fate, a tearful Dunkerly-Adams, wearing a cross around his neck, did not address the charges or express remorse and simply stated he missed his mother and father since being locked up after his conviction.
The victims were not in the courtroom on Friday but were represented by their parents who sometimes wept.
Dunkerly-Adams was supported in court by numerous relatives, some of whom also wept during the hearing.
Assistant District Attorney Matthew Britten burg and co-prosecutor Lindsey Mills argued for three consecutive prison terms to reflect three incidents that involved the two victims. In the end, the judge imposed two consecutive prison terms to reflect the two victims.
“This defendant has been convicted of atrocious crimes. He took advantage of the trust of these boys,” Mills argued. “He exploited opportunities to be alone with them.”
Referring to what she called Dunkerly-Adams’s “lack of remorse,” Mills argued that during a presentence interview by court officials Dunkerly-Adams claimed “he was the victim in all of this” and that a detective “blew it all out of proportion.” He claimed he was sexually assaulted by one of the boys.
“Such depreciation of the harm he has caused undermines these young boys, it undermines the trauma they have suffered…,” Mills argued in court papers.
Defense lawyer Megan Schanbacher asked the judge not to impose consecutive prison terms and presented letters from character witnesses who supported Dunkerly-Adams.
“He’s led a completely law abiding life,” Schanbacher argued, asking the judge not to put much weight on what prosecutors’ called Dunkerly-Adams’s “lack of remorse” because “there are still appellate rights at play.”
At trial, Schanbacher suggested prosecutors didn’t have sufficient evidence to prove the charges and suggested the boys were not being truthful.
When Dunkerly-Adams testified he denied the allegations and implied his reported confession to detectives was coerced.
During the three-day trial, prosecutors argued Dunkerly-Adams was in a position of trust and exploited the trust to sexually abuse the boys.
“It was particularly heinous because the defendant exploited a position of trust. He had access to these kids because their parents trusted him and he took advantage of that and exploited that and he used things like video games, that kids are drawn to, in order to get the kids alone and then use that as a springboard in order to perpetrate these crimes,” Britten burg said.
The assaults occurred when each of the boys was in Dunkerly-Adams’ company and alone with him, according to prosecutors. Dunkerly-Adams knew the families of each of the boys and the families often visited the Limerick home, testimony revealed.
During the trial, a Philadelphia boy recalled two incidents that occurred on Dec. 30, 2017, when he was 16, during which Dunkerly Adams performed a sex act on him and had other sexual contact with him while he was visiting the Limerick residence.
A second Philadelphia boy tearfully testified Dunkerly Adams performed a sex act on him when he was 14 and was visiting the Limerick home in August 2016. That teenager told the jury he felt “frozen” and “scared” during the assault.
Dunkerly-Adams denied that he had any indecent or sexual contact with the boys.
Addressing the 16-yearold boy’s allegations, Dunkerly-Adams claimed he was sleeping and awoke to find the teenager performing a sex act on him without his knowledge. Dunkerly Adams claimed he never sought any sexual contact with the boy nor forced the boy to engage in sex acts.
Limerick Detective Ernie Morris testified that during a Jan. 15, 2018, interview, Dunkerly-Adams, who worked for a local bank and restaurant, admitted to having sexual contact with the two boys, describing his memories as “flashes.”
During his testimony, Dunkerly-Adams suggested his confession was coerced by Morris, claiming he believed that if he didn’t confess to the allegations he’d be prevented from calling his husband.
The investigation began about 5:23 a.m. Dec. 31, 2017, when Limerick police were dispatched to the Pruss Hill Road home to investigate the report of the sexual assault of the 16-year-old boy. The assault was witnessed by another adult who resided in the home and that man called police.
The allegations of the 14-year-old boy came to light as detectives investigated the Dec. 31 assault of the 16-year-old boy.