A Palmyra man, who was found guilty by a jury in Schuylkill County court, lost his appeal in the Pennsylvania Superior Court and must serve the sentence imposed.

Joseph Raymond Wood, 54, of 727 Lincoln Avenue, was found guilty of statutory sexual assault, indecent assault, and corruption of minors, and was sentenced by President Judge William E. Baldwin to serve six to 12 years in a state correctional facility followed by five years probation.The state court ruled Baldwin aptly set forth the proof underlying his conviction which was:The primary witness against Wood was the victim who testified that in 2009 she was 14 years old and was living with her mother in Lebanon. Her parents were separated and she stayed with her father at his Jonestown residence on Labor Day weekend.Her father was a friend of the defendant. They had met while both attended auctions and the victim had seen the defendant from time to time when accompanying her father to various auction sites. That weekend, her father told her that she had to go to the defendant's house to help him clean.The defendant lives with his daughter and her three children in a double block home but the other half of the property was vacant and that day the defendant's daughter and her daughters had gone to the shore. The defendant and victim were alone in the house.While in the basement putting clothes in the washer and dryer the defendant removed his clothing and engaged in sexual intercourse. She testified throughout the event she continued to say "no" but did not resist because she was far from home and afraid he would hurt her.Baldwin's opinion stated the jury acquitted him of the charge of rape but convicted him of statutory sexual assault and other charges and the judge sentenced him to a state prison jail sentence.The Supreme Court judges ruled, "The testimony was sufficient to sustain the verdict." Wood was arrested by Schuylkill Haven police in March 2010 and was tried and sentenced in August 2011.