CLEARFIELD – A Wallaceton man accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl was sentenced to state prison Wednesday.
Kenneth James Ireland, 22, who was originally charged with 20 different offenses, pleaded guilty to felony statutory sexual assault and misdemeanor counts of corruption of minors and indecent exposure before Senior Judge Timothy P. Creany of Cambria County.
The charges stem from an incident at a residence in Lawrence Township on Jan. 29, 2021 when Ireland sexually assaulted the girl. Her sister was also at the home where both girls were given liquor and witnessed some of Ireland’s actions.
The mother of the victim addressed the court explaining that this experience may eventually go away for Ireland, but it was not going to go away for her family. Her daughter has slept in her bedroom for over a year.
Both girls have been cutting themselves. “Somebody took their sense of peace away,” she said.
She went on to say their lives were “paused” with no birthday parties or fun because “everyone scares them” now.
The second victim also spoke prior to sentencing saying her grades have dropped and she has to go to therapy.
“We will not stay broken forever,” she stated, going on to say that they are strong.
Still, they walk around “constantly worried” and “I’ve learned that people are dangerous.”
Ireland’s attorney, Joshua Maines, asked Creany to give Ireland a shorter maximum sentence of five years rather than the 10 years recommended by the probation department, pointing to Ireland’s young age and short adult criminal record.
Maines said Ireland regrets that “we are here,” but he has no ill will for the victim and hopes all the best for her.
Deputy District Attorney Trudy Lumadue responded asking Creany to give him the maximum sentence as recommended.
Creany stated it is apparent that these acts had a big impact and did lasting damage to the girls.
“You took advantage of their youth and inexperience,” he said adding that “at no point did you get the message that what you were doing was not consensual.”
He also commented that Ireland was “fortunate” that the charges he was pleading guilty to, do not require him to register with authorities as a sexual predator under Megan’s Law.
“Because of that, this sentence becomes more important.”
Creany sentenced him to 24 months to 72 months (two to six years) in state prison.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, a mother reported to police that after her two daughters stayed overnight with one of her friends, the older girl who was 15 years old, “was not acting as herself.”
After she questioned the girl, the victim admitted that she had been sexually assaulted by Ireland while at Tia Dixon’s home.
In an interview at the Child Advocacy Center, the teen explained that after she and her younger sister got into Dixon’s car to go to her home, she told them “you can’t tell your mother about what happens tonight.”
They were driving around listening to music when one of the girls opened a Snap Chat message to Dixon from Ireland. Dixon told her to answer so she took a photo of herself and her sister, said “hey” and responded.
Ireland then asked who they were. Dixon told her to respond saying “it’s the girl you called cute.”
Dixon told her that a week or so earlier she had posted a picture of the girl on her Snap Chat story and Ireland commented, saying the girl was cute.
After this, Dixon took the phone and texted Ireland. They picked him up and went back to Dixon’s home.
When they got back to Dixon’s house, the girl and her sister asked Dixon what she had to drink. One of them found a bottle of coconut rum and jokingly asked Dixon if they could have some. She responded, “yeah, sure.” They also had some type of green-colored alcohol, she said.
They watched the movie, “Fifty Shades Darker,” during which Ireland commented that the last time he watched it, he had sex to it.
Dixon and the sister left the residence to visit Dixon’s boyfriend on his lunch break, leaving the 15-year-old alone with Ireland.
Shortly after they left, Ireland carried her “bridal style” to the spare bedroom where he sexually assaulted her.
Eventually she pushed him off her and ran to the bathroom where she shut the door. He asked to be let into the bathroom and she refused him.
Later she went back into the living room. Ireland mentioned to her that he had been accused of rape before, but said he didn’t do it.
Dixon and her sister returned, and the teen fell asleep. She woke up at another time to check on her sister who was sleeping on the floor.
After this, Ireland tried to touch her again and reportedly performed a sex act on her.
She pushed him away but he picked her up and took her to the spare room again. He sexually assaulted her once more.
She heard her sister open the front door and yell her name. This gave them a chance to run into the bathroom. They spent the night in Dixon’s room with her.
In an interview with investigators, her sister told the same story with a few variations.
She mentioned that Ireland was kissing the victim while watching the movie.
When she left with Dixon to meet Dixon’s boyfriend, she first asked Dixon if the victim could come with them. Dixon allegedly said the victim could stay with Ireland and “he won’t hurt her.”
After they returned, she said the victim was very quiet, and Dixon reportedly asked Ireland “you didn’t do anything did you?”
Later as they were watching a different movie, the sister said she was lying on the floor pretending to be asleep. She noticed Ireland put his hand under the victim’s blanket, she said and the victim told him to stop.
She said he took the victim to the bedroom and heard the victim say “No. Seriously I can’t go in there.” Ireland took her in and closed the door.
The sister said she had to do something, which is when she opened the front door and yelled the victim’s name.
Later, while they were in Dixon’s bedroom, the sister said Ireland kept coming into the room looking for the victim asking if she was going to lay with him.
He also touched the victim and tried to kiss her. The sister said this stopped after she changed places with the victim, as a way to protect her.
When Dixon was interviewed, she said she told the girls they couldn’t have the alcohol. She said the victim said she wasn’t feeling well, which is why she didn’t go with her and her sister to meet Dixon’s boyfriend.
Dixon admitted they watched “Fifty Shades Darker” and stated she wasn’t paying attention to what Ireland and the victim were doing when she left them alone, according to the complaint.
She indicated that she didn’t think Ireland would do anything.
Dixon, 26, of Clearfield, who is charged with felony criminal attempt/corruption of minors, felony corruption of minors and three misdemeanor counts of selling/furnishing liquor to minors, has also signed a plea agreement and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 19.