Editor’s Note: The following is a submission by the Chester County District Attorney’s Office.
Here is a brief update on some of the events that occurred recently in the Chester County DA’s Office:
Jury Convicts Philadelphia Man of Child Sex Crimes
After a 4-day trial, a jury found Defendant Shakur Austin, 28, guilty on all charges, including Involuntary Deviate Sexual Assault, Unlawful Contact with Minors, and other charges for soliciting sexual acts from a child victim while working as a Devereux staff member. The trial was held in front of the Honorable Sarah Black. Defendant Austin will be sentenced at a later date.
Evidence presented during trial indicated that the Defendant was working as a direct care staff member at the Devereux Campus, located in West Whiteland Township, when he solicited a 14-year-old child victim to perform oral sex. The child victim eventually disclosed the incident to another minor resident who notified staff, initiating an investigation. A review of internal surveillance footage from the victim’s building corroborated the initial report and provided investigators with powerful evidence at trial.
Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said, “This Defendant was supposed to help the child victim, but instead he sexually abused her. The District Attorney’s Office will continue to work with local law enforcement to protect children and prosecute those that exploit them.”
Chester County Detective Receives Child Advocacy Award from the Chester County Crime Victim’s Center
Last week, the Crime Victims’ Center of Chester County (CVC) presented Chester County Detective Sergeant Joeseph Walton with the John J. Crane Child Advocacy Award during their second annual Show of Love Celebration event held at the Chester County History Center.
The John J. Crane Award was originally created by the Crime Victims’ Center Board of Directors in 1998 to honor and recognize the late John Crane, a Chester County prosecutor, for his amazing service to child victims and their families.
Detective Sgt. Walton came to the Chester County Detectives in the early 2000s after working with the Phoenixville Police Department as a Detective Sergeant. He started immediately in the Major Case Unit and the Terrorism Task Force before joining the Forensics Unit in 2003. In 2010, Detective Walton volunteered to assist the Child Abuse Unit while working in forensics, and by 2020 he was promoted to Sergeant of the Child Abuse and Computer Forensics Units. Throughout his career, Detective Walton has had a substantial background in protecting the community, conducting thorough investigations, and working collaboratively with partner agencies to secure justice for crime victims.
Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said, “We are lucky to have Detective Walton’s expertise and professionalism in the Chester County Detectives. Simply put, his work has made Chester County a safer community.”
Chief Chester County Detective David Sassa said, “Det. Sgt. Joseph Walton works extremely hard every day as the supervisor of the Child Abuse Unit and the Executive Director of the Child Advocacy Center. He consistently puts victim’s first, ensuring that they and their families receive the support they need while pursuing justice.”
