Jury convicts man of indecent contact with girl, 15

NORRISTOWN » A Philadelphia man did not react as a Montgomery County jury convicted him of having indecent contact with a 15-year-old Cheltenham girl.

John Wesley Howard, 74, of the 1800 block of North 27th Street, showed no emotion and simply stared at the jury foreman as the jury convicted him on Thursday of charges of indecent assault, unlawful contact with a minor and corruption of a minor in connection with the September 2015 incident at a Foster Road residence in Cheltenham.

Howard was 71 years old at the time of the incident, according to testimony.

Judge Steven T. O’Neill deferred sentencing so that court officials can complete a background investigation report about Howard and allowed Howard to remain free on bail pending sentencing. Howard faces a possible maximum sentence of 10½ to 21 years in prison on the charges. However, state sentencing guidelines could allow for a lesser sentence.

“The victim has been through a very difficult few years since this happened and she deserves to see that this kind of behavior is not OK and not acceptable. She deserves justice,” said county Assistant District Attorney Alexandria MacMaster, vowing to seek jail time against Howard.

With the charges, prosecutors alleged Howard, while he was visiting the girl’s family at her residence, entered her bedroom where she was alone and listening to music with headphones. Howard placed his hand over the girl’s mouth, removed her headphones, told her, “Don’t scream” and proceeded to touch her in an indecent manner.

“The defendant used ‘Don’t scream’ so he could violate (the victim),” MacMaster argued to the jury during her opening statement. “She did not give him permission to touch her in those places. She was in

shock. She was scared and she didn’t know what to do.”

MacMaster argued the girl believed she would be hurt if she didn’t comply with Howard’s actions.

The girl initially told a friend and her sister about what had happened and eventually a guidance counselor at her school. Police were notified and an investigation began.

The girl testified at trial and MacMaster described her as “very brave.”

Howard allegedly made sexual comments to the girl when he saw the girl several days before the assault, according to the criminal complaint filed by Cheltenham Detective Denise Tecce.

When Howard testified he denied having indecent contact with the girl.

Defense lawyer Joseph Todd Schultz argued the girl gave inconsistent statements

to police and that her testimony could not be trusted.

“What you’re going to hear are a bunch of false accusations,” Schultz argued

to the jury.

The girl was present in the courtroom when the jury announced the verdict and she was consoled by relatives.