CLEARFIELD – A Clearfield man, convicted of two felony charges for molesting a young girl was sentenced to state prison Friday.
Lance Edward Spencer, 37, was convicted of felony counts of aggravated indecent assault and indecent assault victim less than 13 years old, as well as misdemeanor corruption of minors and indecent assault after a trial in August.
Spencer was acquitted of additional charges related to a second victim.
On Friday, Senior Judge John F. Cherry of Dauphin County, who was specially presiding over the trial, sentenced him to serve 92 months (7.66 years) to 184 months (15.333 years) in state prison, according to a court employee.
He was given an additional three years of re-entry probation.
Spencer must also complete sex offender counseling and is to have no unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 18, no contact with the victim and no contact with his own children.
Even though it was determined by an evaluation of the Sex Offender’s Assessment Board, that he does not meet the criteria of a sexually violent predator, he will have to register with authorities under Megan’s Law.
Cherry noted that the sentence was in the aggravated range and stated it was because of the victim’s testimony.
Deputy District Attorney Tami Fees who prosecuted the case, said in a phone interview that she argued for a sentence in the aggravated range because of the relationship he had with the victim.
“This man was someone she trusted and loved.”
This was the second trial for Spencer in this case. The first in February, ended with a hung jury.
Fees gave credit to her “great team” who kept their noses to the grindstone until “we got him and put him where he needed to be.”
During the first day of the trial, the victim cried after she identified Spencer in the courtroom.
She testified that Spencer assaulted her in 2022 when she and another child were watching television with Spencer. She explained he put his hand down her pants and digitally penetrated her. Afterwards, he went to the bathroom.
Fees asked how she felt later when she used the bathroom, which caused the victim to cry again. She was given a short break before she admitted, that “it hurt to go to the bathroom (urinate).”
Months later she told her father’s girlfriend and recounted her story at the Clearfield County Child Advocacy Center which led to the charges being filed.
