About five individuals, including two Hispanics, were indicted by the Pennsylvania attorney general on charges of sexual abuse of minors while they were part of the Jehovah’s Witnesses religious congregation.
Each case is different and has dissimilar details, but what unites them is that the alleged attackers gained access and trust from the victims and families due to their hierarchy in the religious denomination. “These five defendants had the trust of their victims through Jehovah’s Witnesses. In most of these cases, predators reach their victims that way, out of trust,” said prosecutor Michelle Henry.
A state grand jury heard and evaluated the testimony of the victims and determined that all five individuals should be charged.
Here is a recount of the cases, we recommend caution because some details may be strong for some:
- David Balosa, 62 and a Philadelphia resident, would have sexually abused a four-year-old girl while he was staying at the victim’s house. The individual arrived in the United States and the girl’s family offered him shelter in the basement where it is alleged that he perpetrated sexual attacks against her little girl when he was 35 years old. He faces charges of aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault and corruption of minors.
- Errol William Hall, 50, a resident of Delaware County, would have inappropriately touched a 16-year-old teenager on numerous occasions, whom he picked up at school and took her home due to the trust of the victim’s parents towards the attacker through the religious congregation. At the time of the attacks, the defendant was 41 years old. He faces charges of indecent assault and corruption of minors.
- Shaun Sheffer, 45, a resident of Butler County, would have abused a seven-year-old girl from his same family when he was 18. Due to the proximity, the minor spent time alone with the individual without parental supervision. The victim testified that she was raped 50 to 75 times until she was 12 years old. She faces charges of rape, involuntary deviant sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault and corruption of minors.
- Terry Booth, 57 and a resident of Panama City, FL, reportedly gained access to a 16-year-old teenager as a mentor to Jehovah’s Witnesses in Allegheny County. He spent time with the victim because of the mentoring he was allegedly offering and exposed the boy to sexually oriented conversations, as well as inappropriate touching. He faces charges of indecent assault and corruption of minors.
- Luis Manuel Ayala-Velásquez, 55, a resident of Reading, allegedly abused a 12-year-old girl from his own family. The pattern of sexual assaults extended even until the victim reached the age of majority. The individual entered her room when she was sleeping and sexually assaulted her. He faces charges of rape, involuntary deviant sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, endangering the welfare of children and corruption of minors.
Anyone with information about these cases or others can contact the ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313 or message the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office at 888-538-8541.
More on this pattern of sexual abuse of minors here.
