Robert L. Wolfe, who had planned to run for Pine Grove Borough Council in 2013 before being arrested, admitted Wednesday in Schuylkill County Court that prosecutors could prove he committed three sex-related crimes against a teenage girl.
Wolfe, 44, of Pine Grove, pleaded no contest to charges of sexual abuse of children-child pornography, corruption of minors and indecent assault. Prosecutors withdrew charges of aggravated indecent assault and unlawful contact with a minor.
President Judge William E. Baldwin accepted the plea and, pursuant to an agreement between prosecutors and the defendant, sentenced Wolfe to spend 11 1/2 to 23 months on house arrest with electronic monitoring and five additional years on probation, pay costs and $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account, have no contact with his victim and undergo an evaluation by the state Sexual Offenders Assessment Board to determine whether he is a sexually violent predator.
Assistant Public Defender Lora J. McDonald, Wolfe's lawyer, told Baldwin that the house arrest was part of the plea because her client is on kidney dialysis and is on a list to receive a kidney transplant.
By pleading no contest, Wolfe did not admit committing the crimes but offered no defense to them, agreed prosecutors had sufficient evidence to prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and agreed to be sentenced as if he had pleaded or been found guilty.
Pine Grove police charged Wolfe with having indecent contact with a 13-year-old girl on June 1, 2011, at a Wings and Things Night at the borough's North End Fire Company.
The girl testified at Wolfe's preliminary hearing on June 28, 2013, that she and the defendant had exchanged pictures, met several times and talked in a sexual manner before that night.
Wolfe had been a Republican candidate for borough council in the Nov. 5 General Election. However, he withdrew from that race on Aug. 6.
He also has been fired from his job on the custodial staff at Pine Grove Area High School.
McDonald declined to talk about the case after the sentencing hearing.
Assistant District Attorney Jennifer N. Lehman was not available Wednesday for comment on the case. Robert L. Wolfe
· Age: 44
· Residence: Pine Grove
· Plea: No contest plea to sexual abuse of children-child pornography, corruption of minors and indecent assault
· Sentence: 11 1/2 to 23 months on house arrest with electronic monitoring and five additional years on probation