District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer reports that several people appeared in McKean County Court for sex crimes. Daniel MERRICK of Smethport appeared at a scheduled plea conference on January 16th and pled guilty to possessing nearly 700 counts of child pornography.  He was charged after an investigation by Trooper Robert Whyel of the Computer Crimes Unit of the Pennsylvania State Police. 

MERRICK pled guilty to Possessing 698 images of child pornography of prepubescent children – 499 of which depicted indecent contact.  District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer:  “These crimes carry a sex offender registration requirement of at least 15 years.  However, Pennsylvania law requires every defendant convicted of this charge (and several others) to undergo an assessment by the Sex Offender Assessment Board to determine if he meets the definition of a sexually violent predator (or “SVP”).  SVPs must register for lifetime.  The Board has 90 days to complete the assessment which must occur prior to sentencing.” 

Sentencing was scheduled for May 29th. John HODGDON of Wilcox appeared for sentencing before the Court on January 10th.  He was sentenced to 13 years to 26 years in state prison plus 3 years of consecutive probation on charges of Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse, Aggravated Indecent Assault, and Child Pornography/Sexual Abuse of Children.  He is not eligible for any early parole programs.  He is to have no contact with the victim or the victim’s immediate family or unsupervised contact with juveniles, provide DNA, register as a sex offender for lifetime and other terms.  He was charged following an investigation by Trooper Anthony Tettis of the Pennsylvania State Police-Ridgway. 

Harold KAGARISE of Bradford was sentenced on January 9, 2025 to 15 years to 30 years plus 3 years of consecutive probation for charges of Rape of a Child and Aggravated Indecent Assault of a Child.  He is not eligible for any early reentry program.  He was previously found to be a sexually violent predator and must register as a sex offender for lifetime.  District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer:  “Sex offenses against children are the most horrific cases police and prosecutors handle and I applaud the officers for their investigations into these cases.  Most importantly, we must always recognize the bravery of the children involved in bringing the crime to the attention of police.   

Sentences often do not reflect the true horror the crime has caused.  A Court, in imposing a sentence, must follow the sentencing guidelines set by the legislature for the crime.  The sentencing code does allow us to seek a higher sentence than that already set by the legislature for some sex offenses including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and rape of a child for which we can seek a 10 year sentence.  The District Attorney’s Office sought the enhanced penalty in these cases to maximize the sentence given the nature of the crimes and the enhanced penalty is reflected in the Court’s sentence.  In Pennsylvania, a Court must give a minimum and a maximum sentence that is at least double the sentence.  The parole board determines if an offender will be released prior to the expiration of their maximum term but they must serve at least their minimum term.”