CLEARFIELD – A Clearfield man accused of sexually assaulting teenage boys will be spending up to 80 years in state prison.
John Joel Ralston, 51, 10380 Krebs Hwy., Clearfield, pleaded guilty in Clearfield County Court to 10 counts each of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, corruption of minors and 11 counts of furnishing liquor to minors.
Judge Paul Cherry sentenced him to a total of 40 to 80 years in prison. In a second case, he pleaded guilty to indecent assault. He was given a nine-month to two years concurrent sentence for this crime.
Ralston was given an evaluation by the sexual offender’s board and was determined to be a sexually violent predator. His attorney, Michael Marshall, stipulated to the classification, saying it was enough that the report showed this conclusion and there was no need for a hearing. Ralston will have to register with law enforcement under Megan’s Law for the remainder of his life.
Prior to sentencing, Marshall acknowledged there was a potential for a lengthy state sentence but asked Cherry to consider Ralston’s age and lack of a prior record. Ralston signed a plea to prevent the victims from going through the embarrassment of a trial.
Marshall noted there was no violence or threats in the incidents. The first case involved only one victim and it was the same act repeated, he said.
“I ask for a reasonable sentence to allow him to make amends, rehabilitate himself and have a normal life,” Marshall said.
When asked by Cherry if he had anything to say, Ralston said he was “sorry all this happened.” He added that he never thought of the consequences of his actions but he now understands them. He apologized.
The charges in the first case stem from incidents, beginning in the summer of 2010 and ending in the summer of 2013. According to the criminal complaint, Ralston picked up several juvenile boys in Huntingdon and took them to his camp along state Route 153 or to his residence. The boys would spend weekends at the camp with him and he would take them to a nearby motorcycle dirt track to race their motorcycles. While at the camp or his residence, he would supply the boys with alcoholic beverages. He also engaged in sexual activity with one of the boys by performing oral sex on him.
Ralston was interviewed by police on Dec. 18 when he admitted to giving the boys liquor and engaging in sexual activity with one of them.
According to the affidavit of probable cause in the second case, while the victim was visiting at Ralston’s camp, Ralston allegedly put his hand down the victim’s pants on two occasions in February or March of 2013.
He also has charges against him in Huntingdon County where he was originally charged with four counts each of rape forcible compulsion, rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with child, aggravated indecent assault without consent, and aggravated indecent assault less than 13 years old, two counts of corruption of minors, indecent assault without consent and indecent assault person less than 13 years of age.
In August he entered a guilty plea in that case to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and corruption of minors. The other charges were dismissed. He is scheduled to be sentenced in October, according to court documents.