Four men arrested following investigation into sexual abuse of 12-year-old boy in Upper Gwynedd

A child sex abuse investigation by the Upper Gwynedd Police Department and the county detectives has led to the arrest of four men in Bucks and Montgomery counties.

The investigation began on Sept. 7, 2023 when a 12-year-old boy was reported missing to Upper Gwynedd Police. Officials said a review of the boy’s iPad showed he had been involved in sexual communications with 24-year-old Nicholas Benotto, of Doylestown, and the two had agreed to meet at the time the boy was last seen.

While driving with the boy, Benotto was contacted by a family member who informed him that police wanted to speak with him regarding the boy’s whereabouts, investigators said. Benotto then drove to the William Penn Inn, where police took custody of the boy and conducted a preliminary investigation with Benotto, according to the criminal complaint.

Nicholas Benotto, 25, of Doylestown. (Credit: Upper Gwynedd Township Police Department)

Benotto told investigators that he met the boy on the Grindr dating app the previous day, with the boy claiming to be 18 years old, police said. Benotto added he and the boy engaged in sexual communications, sent each other explicit photos, and then agreed to meet, according to charging documents.

Throughout his interviews with police, Benotto maintained he didn’t know the boy was 12 years old, and messages sent by Benotto to the boy included “Can you prove your age,” “How old are you,” and “School id, or something,” according to charging documents. Benotto also claimed the boy said he had lost his wallet and driver’s license, so he was unable to verify his age, police said.

As a result of the investigation, Benotto was charged with felony counts of attempted statutory sexual assault, possession of child pornography, solicitation of child pornography, and corruption of minors. He’s currently in custody at the county jail in lieu of $100,000 cash bail, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for April 18 at noon in front of Magisterial District Judge Suzan Leonard.

Additional suspects identified

As the investigation unfolded, police said they conducted a forensic download of the boy’s phone and iPad, which allegedly showed additional sexual communications with other men, including 24-year-old Joseph Slover, of Towamencin, 21-year-old Tristan Anderson, of Upper Providence, and 31-year-old Brock Tharp, of Bally.

Investigation into Slover

Police allege Slover and the boy began engaging in text-based sexual conversations before arranging to meet on the afternoon of Aug. 28, 2023. Once the boy said his mother had left his home, he rode his bike to a parking lot where he was picked up by Slover and taken to Slover’s apartment, according to the criminal complaint.

The boy told police he engaged in sex with Slover on his bed, adding that Slover repeatedly referred to him as “kid” during their interactions, the report states. Afterwards, Slover took the boy back to his neighborhood and ceased all communication, with the boy believing Slover had blocked his phone number, police said.

Joseph Slover, 24, of Towamencin. (Credit: Upper Gwynedd Township Police Department)

In an interview with Mission Kids, the boy stated that Slover was wearing North Penn Football shorts at the time they met, and he also described a stuffed animal on the dashboard of Slover’s car which police later confirmed to be accurate, according to charging documents. Investigators also said cellular data confirmed Slover was allegedly in both the pickup location and at his home at the times provided by the boy.

Slover was arraigned on March 8 on felony counts of rape of a child, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person less than 16 years of age, unlawful contact with a minor, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault of a person less than 13 years of age, and corruption of minors. He was subsequently transported to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in lieu of $300,000 cash bail, but records show bail was posted on March 13 and all charges were waived for trial during his preliminary hearing on April 4.

He is scheduled for a formal arraignment on May 15 at 1:30 p.m. at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown.

Investigation into Tharp

Investigators learned that the boy had engaged in sexual communications with Tharp, and the two arranged to meet on Aug. 29, 2023. In a forensic interview with Mission Kids, the boy stated Tharp had picked him up and drove to a different location, where they had sex in Tharp’s vehicle, the report states. The following day, the boy contacted Tharp to retrieve a personal item left in the vehicle, as well as to arrange another meeting, however the second meeting never took place and Tharp stopped responding to the boy’s messages for a period, police said.

Communication resumed in January after investigators reached out to Tharp using an undercover phone number and posing as the boy, court records show. At that point, sexual communication resumed, and Tharp allegedly discussed the first meeting while requesting some photos of the boy, according to charging documents.

Brock Tharp, 31, of Bally. (Credit: Upper Gwynedd Township Police Department)

Tharp was arrested on Feb. 23 and arraigned on felony counts of rape of a child, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, unlawful contact with a minor, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault of a person less than 13 years of age, and corruption of minors. He is currently being held at the county jail in lieu of $200,000 cash bail, along with a probation detainer.

Court records show all charges were waived for trial at Tharp’s preliminary hearing on April 4, and his next court appearance is a formal arraignment on May 15 at 1:30 p.m. at the county courthouse.

Investigation into Anderson

Police said their investigation also revealed the boy was communicating with Anderson on Discord, which included sexual conversations and arranging plans to meet. Messages between Anderson and the boy revealed the two met on the evening of Aug. 21, 2023 and messages after the alleged meeting referenced sexual activities that had occurred, according to the criminal complaint against Anderson.

In a forensic interview with Mission Kids, the boy disclosed that Anderson was his boyfriend and the two had met twice to have sex in Anderson’s vehicle, the report states. Additional conversations between the boy and Anderson referenced making pillow forts and building LEGOs, indicating Anderson was aware the boy was a minor, according to police.

Tristan Anderson, 21, of Upper Providence. (Credit: Upper Gwynedd Township Police Department)

Cellular tracking allegedly placed Anderson at the locations and times the boy referenced, and the boy’s description of Anderson’s vehicle was later corroborated by police, officials said.

Anderson was arraigned Friday afternoon on felony counts of rape of a child, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault of a person less than 13 years of age, unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of minors, and criminal use of a communication facility. He’s currently in custody at the county jail in lieu of $200,000 cash bail, and his preliminary hearing has been scheduled for April 25 at 10 a.m. in front of Magisterial District Judge Suzan Leonard.

More arrests could follow

In an interview with North Penn Now, police said the investigation was ongoing, as additional communications were recovered from the boy’s phone and investigators are working to identify the other men involved. Sgt. Robert Pro, who is serving as the lead investigator, said police are working to identify at least one more suspect, though there could be more.

Upper Gwynedd Police Chief David Duffy described the investigation as “unusual” when asked about multiple arrests from separate incidents involving the same victim, but added he has encountered similar circumstances over the course of his career.

“The investigation has been complex and time consuming, but that is always the necessity when victims are juveniles,” said Duffy. “Sgt. Pro has done an excellent job with this case as it has grown to several suspects and arrests.”

If you or someone you know is being sexually abused, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673 or visit online.rainn.org. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline is also available here.

All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.