A former Carbon County resident was sentenced to a state prison term on Thursday in the county court on corruption of minors and other counts.

Mark A. Mead, 31, now of Pittsburgh and formerly of Nesquehoning, was sentenced by President Judge Roger N. Nanovic II to serve 14 to 60 months in a state correctional institution on the corruption count, a felony 3, and a misdemeanor charge of indecent exposure. The jail term will be followed by 24 months of state probation.

He previously admitted to exposing himself to two young children at a residence in Nesquehoning in which he was then “pistol whipped” by the victim’s father, who said he caught the defendant in the act. In exchange for the plea, a felony 1 count rape of a child and of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse was dropped in a plea deal with the district attorney’s office.

The victim’s father, William Morales, 43, of Cumbola, Schuylkill County, and formerly of Nesquehoning, was charged with assaulting Mead after he said he walked into a room where he saw the defendant exposing himself to the children. Morales was charged with aggravated assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, possession of a prohibitive offensive weapon, simple assault, unlawful restraint and false imprisonment.

He pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, a felony 2, and was sentenced to serve 18 to 36 months in a state correctional institution in April by Nanovic. At the time Morales was an inmate in the Berks County prison where he was awaiting action of a state parole violation.

He is currently an inmate in the state system.

At the sentencing proceeding, Morales told Nanovic he was still on parole for an aggravated assault on a police officer charge when the incident occurred. He also told Nanovic, “I did what any other father would have done.”

Case history

Nesquehoning police were called to Morales’ home for an assault on Aug. 7, 2019.

Mead told police he was being held at gunpoint by Morales for two hours and that he was assaulted several times by being pistol-whipped, kicked in the stomach and violated with the handle of a mop.

Morales told police that the reason for the incident was because he had found Mead sexually assaulting his then 1-year-old and 5-year-old sons while he was helping the family move.

The affidavit of probable cause states that Morales had asked Mead for his help moving and that he had left to carry out items. When he returned, Morales said he found Mead with his 1-year-old in a compromising situation and subdued Mead. The 5-year-old told his parents that Mead also made him touch him.

Police noted that Mead had multiple lumps and swelling on his head and contusions and abrasions, as well as pain in his abdomen.

Mead said Morales had provided him with illegal drugs in payment for helping him move.

At the time of the plea, District Attorney Michael S. Greek told the court forensic evidence gathered at the scene did not support the rape of a child or involuntary deviate sexual intercourse charges and was the reason they were dropped in the plea deal with Mead.

On Thursday, defense attorney Michael P. Gough, court-appointed, told the court his client was addicted to methamphetamine for a long period of time. He also said Morales gave meth to his client the day of the incident.

Gough attempted to argue that his research of the use of meth and some of its side effects included a strong urge for sex. He said that a report stated that after he was taken into custody, Mead repeatedly masturbated in the back of the police cruiser and at the police station.

He said since the incident, Mead has gone through two inpatient rehabilitation programs and is currently living in a halfway house in Pittsburgh.

However, Nanovic said there was no evidence of memory loss due to the drug and noted in the presentence investigation report prepared by the adult probation office, Mead claimed he didn’t remember what happened and denied doing the acts Morales claimed he observed him doing to his children.

Mead apologized for what happened and blamed his addiction on his actions. Mead also said he has gone through at least 20 drug addiction programs but was unsuccessful in them.

Nanovic noted a letter submitted by the mother of the children claims the children still suffer emotionally from what occurred.

A member of the adult probation office, Justin Bilka, said while Mead has been in Pittsburgh, he left the halfway house and was considered homeless for a period of time before being located and brought back to the facility.

In addition to the jail term, Nanovic ordered Mead to submit to a sexual offenders evaluation, follow all registration requirements of Megan’s Law, have no contact with the victims, have no unsupervised contact with any minor children, supply a DNA sample, get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, attend and successfully complete an anger management course and pay court costs of over $1,000.

The state sexual offenders assessment board found Mead not to be a violent sexual predator. He must register for the next 15 years as a sexual offender.

He was given credit for 603 days spent in prison on the charges. Although he has served his minimum, because it is a state sentence, he was taken into custody and will be transferred to a state correctional institution where the state board of parole will decide his release date.

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