CLEARFIELD – A Mahaffey man who was forced by gunpoint to confess to sexual assault pleaded guilty Monday in sentencing court.
Brandon James Spencer, 28, was actually charged in two cases for assaulting the woman twice on the same night.
Police say two men brought Spencer to the Clearfield Borough police station after the incidents on June 11, 2022 at a Lawrence Township residence. They related that Spencer had assaulted the woman.
Spencer told them the men forced him to go to the station to confess at gunpoint.
The victim, who was outside in a vehicle, was asked to go to the Lawrence Township police station to make a formal complaint and statement. Spencer was transported to the station to speak with officers there.
The victim told police that she and some others, including Spencer were hanging out in the home where she had used medical marijuana and methamphetamine.
After she passed out on a bed, she awoke to a ping on her phone to see Spencer sitting on the bed next to her, on his phone.
She fell asleep again and awoke to find Spencer “was on top of her” from behind and her pants were down” as he was assaulting her.
She screamed, which brought other people into the room and Spencer was thrown out of the residence.
In his interview with police, Spencer admitted to kissing and touching her private area but said the contact was consensual. He denied actually having intercourse with her although he also stated he could not remember much from the night before.
He did remember one of the others entering the room and punching him in the mouth before he ran from the home.
Later he woke up under a neighbor’s truck and returned to the home, he explained. Once there, the two men forced him to go to the police. One of them had a gun, he said, but the men denied having a weapon.
Other witnesses in the home corroborated the victim’s account.
Prior to sentencing Monday, the victim addressed the court, saying Spencer deserved the maximum sentence. She explained that she has suffered emotional pain and trauma as a result of waking up with him “on top” of her and will “never be the same.”
She stated that she hopes this “haunts” him for the rest of his life and that he gets help. She added that he should be ashamed and embarrassed by his actions.
When Judge Paul E. Cherry asked Spencer if he had anything to say, Spencer said “no” but after Cherry asked if he wanted to say he was sorry, Spencer did say “I am sorry for what I did” and everything that happened between them, finishing with “I still love you.”
Spencer pleaded guilty to simple assault in one case and misdemeanor indecent assault and indecent exposure in the other one.
Cherry sentenced him to serve a total of 24 months to four years in state prison with two years concurrent probation.
It was noted that Spencer was evaluated and it was determined that he is not a sexually-violent predator.
He will still have to register his address with law enforcement under Megan’s Law and complete sex offender counseling.
Originally, Spencer was charged with felony counts of rape unconscious victim, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and sexual assault.
