Man jailed for indecent assault of teen girl in Cheltenham

NORRISTOWN >> A Philadelphia man is headed to jail after 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, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to nine to 23 months in the county jail on 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.

Judge Steven T. O’Neill also ordered Howard to complete three years’ probation following his parole, meaning Howard will be under court supervision for about five years.

Howard, who was 71 years old at the time of the incident, also must report his address to state police for 25 years as a result of the conviction.

A jury convicted Howard of the charges during a trial last November.

Assistant District Attorney Alexandria MacMaster sought 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, prosecutors alleged.

“The defendant used ‘Don’t scream’ so he could violate (the victim),” MacMaster argued to the jury during the trial. “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 suggested the girl gave inconsistent statements to police and that her testimony could not be trusted. The jury, with its verdict, rejected the defense claims that the girl fabricated the allegations.