Girl Raped Starting At 7 Years Old By Myerstown Man Who Hid In Hospital, DA Says
A Myerstown man is accused of raping a girl over a two-year span, Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Hess Graf announced on Monday, Sept. 22.
Christopher Barto, 55, was arrested on Wednesday, Sept. 10, after Pennsylvania State Police investigated a Childline tip that he possessed child pornography, according to the DA’s Office.
Barto confessed to sexually assaulting a girl between the ages of 7 and 9, police said. He was charged with Rape of a Child, Unlawful Contact with Minors, Sexual Assault, Indecent Assault, Corruption of Minors, Endangering the Welfare of Children, and Indecent Exp…
12-Year-Old Escapes After Year Of Abuse At Hands Of Mom, Boyfriend: Lebanon County DA
A 12-year-old girl fled to a friend’s home with bruises, cuts, and a black eye after enduring more than a year of alleged abuse in Cleona, Lebanon County detectives announced on Monday, Sept. 22.
The girl told investigators that her mother’s boyfriend, Reagan Thach, repeatedly beat her with objects including a curtain rod, lamp, and phone charger cord, and forced her to write “sets” of phrases for hours, according to the District Attorney’s Office. When dissatisfied with her handwriting, he allegedly assaulted her again.
Her mother, Mai Tran, is accused of knowing about the ongoing abuse an…
Lebanon County Man Shared Child Porn, Feds Say
A 35-year-old man from Lebanon County has been indicted on federal charges for distributing and possessing child pornography, authorities said.
Stephen Okamoto, of Lebanon, was charged by grand jury indictment on Wednesday, March 6, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Prosecutors say Okamoto distributed child porn images and videos on November 13, 2023, and was later caught with additional material on February 8, 2024.
The charges are part of Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative launched by the Department of Justice to crack down on the…
$50K Bitcoin Scam Gets Two Men Detained By ICE For Deportation: Lebanon DA
Two men convicted in a $50,000 Bitcoin scam in Lebanon County have been detained by federal authorities for deportation, officials announced.
Digvijaysinh Chauhan, 23, and Hemal Patel, 26, were sentenced for felony theft and conspiracy charges on Tuesday, March 12, 2025, before the Lebanon County Court of Common Pleas, according to the district attorney’s office. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) immediately took them into custody for deportation proceedings.
The scam began in January 2024 when victims received fraudulent messages claiming their bank accounts had been hacked, authori…
Lebanon County Man Traveled To Ohio To Abuse 14-Year-Old: FBI
A Lebanon County man has been indicted for traveling to Ohio to sexually abuse a 14-year-old girl, federal authorities announced.
Chase Alexander Lawrence, 23, of Palmyra, was arrested on Feb. 7, 2025, after officers from the Western Lebanon County Regional Police Department assisted the FBI in serving a federal warrant at a home on the 200 block of North College Street in Palmyra, according to law enforcement.
Investigators allege that between Dec. 18, 2022, and Oct. 6, 2023, Lawrence repeatedly traveled from Pennsylvania to Ohio, where he engaged in illicit sexual conduct with the minor. …
