Joseph Slover, 24, of Towamencin. (Credit: Upper Gwynedd Township Police Department)
A Towamencin man has pleaded guilty to the statutory sexual assault of a 12-year-old boy in Upper Gwynedd Township.
Court records show 24-year-old Joseph Slover pleaded guilty on Monday to one felony count of statutory sexual assault - 8 to 11 years older, as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. Additional charges of rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, unlawful contact with a minor, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, and corruption of minors were dropped in exchange for his plea.
Slover remains free on $300,000 cash bail while awaiting sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled.
Police said 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. 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.
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.
Court records show Slover was arraigned on March 8, and all charges were held for trial following his preliminary hearing on April 4. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in state prison and a $25,000 fine on the statutory sexual assault charge.
Slover is one of five men accused of sexually abusing the same boy across different incidents in August 2023, though he is the first to plead guilty to the charges. Additional defendants include 24-year-old Nicholas Benotto, of Doylestown, 21-year-old Tristan Anderson, of Upper Providence, 31-year-old Brock Tharp, of Bally, and 25-year-old Daniel Nixon, of Hatfield — the latter of whom was arrested and charged on Sunday as part of the ongoing investigation.
Read more about Nixon’s arrest, as well as the allegations against the other defendants here.
