State College Man Found Guilty of 56 Counts of Child Sexual Abuse
LOCK HAVEN— A Clinton County jury comprised of six women and six men deliberated for approximately an hour and a half on the afternoon of Friday, August 8, 2025, before delivering a Guilty verdict on all 56 counts charged against Kenneth Matthew Yerger of Longmeadow Lane, State College.
The trial, originally scheduled by the Clinton County Court of Common Pleas to last four days, District Attorney Dave Strouse presented the entirety of the Commonwealth’s case on the first day, Thursday, August 7, 2025, and rested the Commonwealth’s case by mid-afternoon. On Friday, Yerger and his wife both took the witness stand in his defense, and closing arguments were heard before noon. Judge Michael F. Salisbury presided over the trial, and after receiving instructions from him on Friday afternoon, the jury began deliberations in the mid-afternoon hours on Friday, August 8.
In total, Yerger was found guilty of 2 counts of Rape of a Child (F1); 2 counts of Aggravated Indecent Assault (F2); 2 counts of Statutory Sexual Assault (F2); 15 counts of Indecent Assault of a Child Under the Age of 13 (F3); 16 counts of Unlawful Contact With a Minor (F1); 2 Counts of Sexual Assault (F2); 16 counts of Corruption of Minors (F3); and 1 count of Indecent Assault of a Child Under the Age of 16 (M2).
Yerger’s convictions carry a possible maximum sentence of up to 659 years in prison. Following his conviction, Judge Salisbury revoked Yerger’s bail and committed him to the Clinton County Correctional Facility to await sentencing, which is scheduled for December 9, 2025. Yerger was ordered to undergo a Sexual Offenders Assessment by the Pennsylvania Sexual Offenders Assessment Board to determine whether he should be classified as a Sexually Violent Predator pursuant to Megan’s Law.
Following the trial, District Attorney Dave Strouse said, “I am obviously pleased with the verdict, and I am very grateful for the service of our jury, but most of all, I am happy for the four victims in this case who had to endure so much, including the traumatic experience of having to sit in the courtroom and face their abuser. I hope they can use this verdict as a starting point to heal and find happiness in their lives.” Strouse also complimented the efforts of the investigating officers in the case, Trooper Chad Harpster and Trooper Dalton Young, both of whom are members of the Pennsylvania State Police.
Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: https://clinton.crimewatchpa.com/da/133000/post/state-college-man-found-guilty-56-counts-child-sexual-abuse
