Joseph Slover, 24, of Towamencin. (Credit: Upper Gwynedd Township Police Department)
Joseph Edward Slover, 25, is one of five men accused of rape and other sexually-based offenses against the youth.
One of five men accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old boy is headed to state prison for up to six years for admitting to his crime and must register as a sex offender for 25 years.
Joseph Edward Slover, 25, of the 300 block of Erie Drive, Towamencin Township, was given 2½ to 6 years by Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Risa Vetri Ferman this week, according to court records.
Six of the seven sexually-based offenses lodged against Slover were dismissed in a plea agreement; Slover pleaded guilty in July to a felony charge of statutory sexual assault in connection with incidents that occurred on Aug. 28, 2023, in Towamencin and Upper Gwynedd townships.
Slover was initially charged with rape of a child, indecent assault of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, unlawful contact with a minor, aggravated indecent assault of a minor and corruption of a minor, per court documents.
He was free on $300,000 cash bail. Slover faced a maximum sentence of 10 years in state prison and a $25,000 fine on the statutory sexual assault charge.
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.
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.
Their cases are still pending in Montgomery County Court, according to court records.
Read more about Nixon’s arrest, as well as the allegations against the other defendants here.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
