WILKES-BARRE — A West Pittston man claimed innocence Tuesday when he was sentenced for molesting a girl multiple times in Hanover and Jackson townships for several years.
John Joseph Davis, of Luzerne Avenue, said the reason why he did not contest the allegations was he feared a longer prison sentence, if convicted.
“I’m almost 75, nothing like this has ever happened to me,” Davis said during his sentencing hearing before Luzerne County Judge David W. Lupas. “I entered the plea agreement because it was the lesser of two evils. I always tried to do the best I could. I have never ever in my life molested a child.”
Lupas sentenced Davis to 11-23 months at the county correctional facility for his no-contest plea to indecent assault. The plea agreement was accepted Oct. 15, when state prosecutors withdrew charges of aggravated indecent assault and corruption of minors.
Lupas further sentenced Davis to five years probation.
Davis was arrested in August 2022, following a multi-jurisdictional investigation by Hanover Township police and Jackson Township police.
Davis was known to the girl’s father and would often visit their homes when they lived in Jackson Township and again when the girl and her father moved to Hanover Township. Davis would frequently take photographs of the girl and go for walks with her in woods where he inappropriately touched her, according to court records.
The girl told investigators, court records say, she informed her father of the inappropriate touching but her father told her don’t be scared of Davis.
Davis is subject to lifetime registration of his address under the state’s Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act.
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