CHERRYTREE TWP., Pa. (EYT) – An Erie County man has been incarcerated in Venango County for the alleged rape of a 13-year-old girl.
Court documents indicate Franklin-based State Police filed criminal charges on Friday, April 16, in Magisterial District Judge Patrick E. Lowrey’s office against 23-year-old Ethan Garret Shaw, of Edinboro.
The charges stem from an incident that allegedly took place in late January in northern Venango County.
According to a criminal complaint, Titusville Police contacted Franklin-based State Police on March 9 regarding a sexual assault that had been determined to have occurred in the area of Dutch Hill Road close to Black Hill Road in Cherrytree Township, Venango County.
Titusville Police reported the case had been under investigation since February 5, when it was reported to Titusville Police. A known woman reported she found a vape pen and drugs in her daughter’s bedroom and confronted her daughter, who told her she got the items from a man who sexually assaulted her, the complaint states.
It was reported the man, later identified as Ethan Garret Shaw, had been messaging back and forth with another known juvenile female the night of January 30 via Snapchat. The 14-year-old victim and the other juvenile were staying together that night, and Shaw offered to pick them up and drive them to Oil City to meet friends, according to the complaint.
The victim told her mother that Shaw then drove her to a wooded area on her way home and sexually assaulted her. He also allegedly gave her a vape pen and money to keep quiet, the complaint indicates.
The complaint notes that the victim’s cell phone showed she had stopped on Dutch Hill Road at approximately 4:30 a.m. for 11 minutes on the night of the incident. Shaw then dropped her off in a convenice store parking lot.
The victim was taken to Clarion Hospital for a medical evaluation on February 5.
Police also collected evidence consisting of sweatpants, drugs, and money from the victim’s mother, including $10.00 in cash, 21 gray pills with no markings, two ziplock bags with 18 white pills determined to be Alprazolam, four empty boxes of puff plus for vape pends, two empty boxes of NJOY for vape pens, and a vape pen.
Interview With Second Juvenile
The second juvenile was interviewed on February 11.
According to the complaint, the second juvenile reported that Shaw had been texting her and the victim “for a while” via Snapchat, hitting on her, and telling her he’d “pay her to hang out with him.” She said she would post photos on Snapchat, and Shaw would comment things like “cute,” but she didn’t respond because she didn’t know him. She noted she didn’t know how old he was until she got into the car with him. She also noted Shaw has been messaging her for months and knew she was 13 years old at the time of the incident.
The second juvenile told police that Shaw messaged her on Snapchat the night of the incident and said he knew she was with the victim because they had posted photos of them together on her Snapchat story. He then offered to take them for a drive. She said she decided not to go with them when he arrived because she wasn’t comfortable with it, but she saw the victim get into a four-door blue car with Shaw. She reported they left around 2:30 a.m., and the victim then woke her around 4:00 a.m. and told her what happened, according to the complaint.
She told police the victim said Shaw took her to a wooded area and stopped, then sexually assaulted her. She noted she stayed up with the victim for a bit and sent a message to Shaw telling him he was “disgusting” and should get in trouble, but Shaw didn’t respond, the complaint states.
The second juvenile also reported she talked to the victim’s mother about the incident and sent her the information she had on Shaw, and the victim’s mother was then able to get a photo of Shaw via Facebook, which allowed them to identify him. The juvenile also reported that the victim said she took money from Shaw and he gave her pills, as well, the complaint notes.
The juvenile provided police with messages sent to her by Shaw, including one where he allegedly stated: “I will bring you anything you want and pay you.”
Interview With the Victim
The victim was also interviewed on February 11.
According to the complaint, the victim told police on the night of the incident, she was at her friend’s house and was not having a good night. Her friend then posted on Snapchat that someone should hang out with them, and “this guy” (later identified as Shaw) messaged back and said he’d take them for a drive, but her friend didn’t want to go.
The victim told police she got into Shaw’s car, and it was normal at first. She asked Shaw to take her to Oil City, and she talked to a friend there. She also noted a friend warned her that they heard through Snapchat that Shaw was a “drug dealer,” the complaint states.
The victim reported that when she got into Shaw’s car, a blue four-door, she noticed drugs and a lot of money in the vehicle. She told police that after they had driven around, she asked Shaw to take her home, but he didn’t. Instead, he drove her to the woods where (he sexually assaulted her) and then dropped her off at a local convenience store, according to the complaint.
When asked, the victim went into further detail about the sexual assault and reported that she screamed and cried, and Shaw apologized on the way home, telling her “he didn’t know what came over him.” He also allegedly gave her money “to get her to shut up.” She told police that Shaw had drugs in his center console, including Xanax and “Shrooms,” and said she dropped his phone, which she described as an Android phone, by hear seat and cracked the screen on it, according to the complaint.
The victim also stated that when he drooped her off, she also grabbed a Sheetz bag full of money, then contacted two known juveniles on her walk home. She then went home and woke her friend and told her what occurred, but didn’t tell any adults until her mother found the drugs and she told her what happened, the complaint notes.
The victim also told police she knew Shaw was from Edinboro and had been with friends in Erie.
Investigation
While investigating, police did a CLEAN/NCIC search and found Ethan Shaw did reside in Edinboro. They then drove by his residence and discovered a blue Toyota Matrix parked in the driveway, which came back as registered to a woman residing at the same address.
Police were then able to obtain video surveillance from an office next to a convenience store in Titusville from the date of the incident. The footage showed the victim exiting the front passenger seat of a vehicle matching the given description around 4:55 a.m. and walking away. Shaw is then seen getting out of the driver’s seat, walking toward the passenger seat, and reaching into the vehicle. He then went back to the driver’s seat and appeared to be adjusting his pants, according to the complaint.
Police obtained the jacket the victim was wearing the night of the incident. They also took the victim’s phone to find the parked location, which determined the incident took place on Dutch Hill Road in Venango County.
On March 11, preservation requests were sent to Snapchat for Shaw’s account, the victim’s account, and the other juvenile’s account.
According to court documents, Shaw was arraigned in front of Judge Lowrey at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 18, on the following charges:
– Rape Forcible Compulsion, Felony 1
– Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse Forcible Compulsion, Felony 1
– Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse Person Less Than 16 Years Age, Felony 1 (two counts)
– Statutory Sexual Assault: 8-11 Years Older, Felony 2
– Aggravated Indecent Assault – Forcible Compulsion, Felony 2
– Aggravated Indecent Assault Without Consent, Felony 2
– Aggravated indecent Assault – Comp. Less Than 16, Felony 2 (two counts)
– Photograph/Film/Depict on Computer Sex Act – Knowingly or Permitting Child, Felony 2
– Interference With Custody of Children, Felony 2 (two counts)
– Criminal Use of Communication Facility, Felony 3
– Corruption of Minors – Defendant Age 18 or Above, Felony 3 (two counts)
– Manufacture, Delivery, or Possession With Intent to Manufacture or Deliver, Felony
– Indecent Assault Forcible Compulsion, Misdemeanor 1 (three counts)
– Indecent Assault Person Less 16 Years Age, Misdemeanor 2 (three counts)
– Sale of Tobacco, Summary
He was lodged in the Venango County Jail on $50,000.00 monetary bail on Sunday, April 18, at 2:00 a.m. His bail was then modified during a bail hearing at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 18, to bail denied due to “Defendant is Suicidal and is a danger to himself,” according to court documents.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 21, in Venango County Central Court.
