Newport judge charged with child sexual assaults

On Nov. 2, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced the arrest of Michael E. Schechterly of Newport, magisterial district judge, on charges he allegedly sexually assaulted children over multiple years.

“Serious allegations show this judge violated the trust that the citizens of Perry County placed in him by sexually abusing a little boy. There may be other victims,” Shapiro said in the announcement.

The charges come after a five-year investigation into Schechterly’s behavior at both his courtroom and personal residence by Pennsylvania State Police at Newport and the Perry County District Attorney’s office, according to court documents. Locals then turned the investigation over to the attorney general’s office to avoid conflicts.

Schechterly, 58, was initially charged with three crimes -- unlawful contact with minors, a felony, as well as corruption of minors and indecent assault, both misdemeanors, according to court documents. The charges stem from alleged contact he had with at least one 12-year-old child at both his residence and courtroom offices.

Schechterly is being held without bail in Cumberland County Prison, and awaiting a Nov. 23 preliminary hearing in the Carlisle Magisterial District Court of Judge Jonathan Birbeck.

According to court dockets, Schechterly was charged with five more felonies -- unlawful contact with minors involving open lewdness, unlawful contact with minors involving prostitution, unlawful contact with minors involving obscene and other sexual materials and performances, contact/communication with minors involving sexual abuse, and unlawful contact with minors for sexual exploitation.

The state’s Judicial Conduct Board, which reviews complaints and charges against judges, filed a petition on Nov. 4 with the Court of Judicial Discipline to suspend Schechterly without pay per state law.

The investigations began in 2015 when it was alleged Schechterly had young boys spending the night at his courtroom offices and had pornographic materials and videos there, too, according to the affidavit of probable cause filed by state police. Surveillance video of the office was reviewed by police at the time. No charges were immediately filed.

However, in 2019, police received an additional complaint relaying suspicions that Schechterly had inappropriate contact with a special needs child at his residence and offices, according to the affidavit. An interview with the victim revealed occasions when Schechterly allegedly touched his genitals in front of the child.

Schechterly had contact with the victim and other children through his affiliation with Royal Rangers, a youth program through his church, Newport Assembly of God, according to the attorney general and police.

Additional complaints arose in May 2020, when it is alleged Schechterly continued to bring young boys to his courtroom after normal hours and in violation of Covid-19 safety protocols, according to the court documents. A district court employee told police Schechterly allegedly brought two children to the office in early spring and followed one to the bathroom. When the employee went to check on the situation after a long time had passed, she found Schechterly and the child returning from the bathroom. Police said the investigation revealed the children were also having sleepovers at Schechterly’s house. The children were not relations of Schechterly.

Police got a search warrant for the court’s surveillance videos, which they say showed Schechterly bringing children to his offices outside of business hours and in which the judge was not engaged in court business.

Additional police interviews with victims and Schechterly allegedly confirmed inappropriate touching going back many years, according to the affidavit. In Schechterly’s interviews, police say he allegedly admitted to the contact with children and the touching, saying there were many children over the years and he didn’t remember them all.

The attorney general’s office is encouraging anyone with information about the case to call the Pennsylvania State Police hotline at 717-881-6937.

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