Paxinos man sentenced to 21 years in Clinton County sexual assault case
LOCK HAVEN, PA – Nathan William Weaver, 34, most recently of 1121 West Mountain Road, Paxinos, PA, on Monday was sentenced in Clinton County Court after a several-month delay.
Weaver was found guilty in October of 2021 following a two-day trial by a Clinton County jury of sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault and indecent assault. While awaiting sentencing, the PA Sexual Offenders Assessment Board determined that Weaver should be classified as a sexually violent predator. Sentencing was continued several times as Weaver and his counsel, Peter Campana, sought an expert to contest the SVP designation. On July 15 Judge Michael Salisbury found Weaver to be an SVP, subjecting him to the highest level of Megan’s Law Registration required in Pennsylvania.
On Monday morning, Weaver appeared for sentencing before Judge Salisbury. The victim addressed the Court and repeatedly referred to Weaver as a “monster” and asked the Court to see past his lies and manipulations. Citing his refusal to ever accept responsibility for his actions, the victim told the judge, “Nathan Weaver is a coward, your honor.” She added, “He will sit here today and shake his head, deny doing anything wrong, and somehow this will all be about him. He will never take responsibility.” She later asked for the maximum sentence permitted by law.
District Attorney Dave Strouse, who prosecuted the case at trial, also argued at sentencing. He told the Court that Weaver was a “manipulative, serial sexual predator.” Strouse told the Court, “there is nothing else that can keep other women safe from the defendant, he must be incarcerated for as long as the Court, the Commonwealth and the Department of Corrections can control.” Ultimately, Strouse asked for a 22 year state prison sentence, which would allow Weaver to be parole eligible after 11 years.
Weaver and his attorney briefly addressed the Court as well. Campana referred to the victim as the “alleged victim” and tried to highlight that Weaver did not commit any sexual crime by force or by physical restraint. Weaver told Salisbury that he wasn’t guilty, and that he maintained his innocence, saying, “I’m not the monster they paint me to be.”
Just prior to imposing sentence, Salisbury told Weaver that he was shocked by just how accurate the victim’s statements were, and that Weaver to this day still refuses to actually accept responsibility for the crimes he so clearly committed. Salisbury then told Weaver that the jury had listened to the evidence and determined that it was overwhelming and added that he too found the victim and her testimony, and the evidence to be overwhelming. He told Weaver that he was a predator, and he needed to be removed from society in order to incapacitate him and prevent him from committing additional crimes. Salisbury then imposed the maximum guideline ranges for both Sexual Assault (F2) and Aggravated Indecent Assault (F2), to be followed by a 3 year probation sentence. In total, Weaver is subject to supervision for the next 24 years. He is parole eligible after 9 and a half years.
Weaver was charged in 2019 after DNA testing found his DNA on the sexual assault examination kit that had been conducted on the victim in the case on the day of the assault. In November of 2020, Weaver had entered a no contest plea to one count of aggravated indecent assault, but prior to sentencing he filed a petition with the Court to withdraw his plea just prior to sentencing. The motion was granted by the Court, and a jury trial was scheduled. At trial District Attorney Strouse presented 12 witnesses including the victim, a Lock Haven University student at the time of the assault. The victim testified to having been drinking alcohol for several hours prior to the assault, that she was intoxicated and unconscious when Weaver engaged in sexual intercourse with her.
Police witnesses also testified that Weaver had been interviewed on 3 separate occasions, and each time he claimed that he never had touched the victim, and never engaged in any sexual contact with her. Detective Richard Simpson, the arresting officer in the case, testified that he interviewed Weaver several months after the assault and Weaver again denied having any contact with the victim. Several months after the interview, DNA testing confirmed the presence of Weaver’s DNA. The Commonwealth also produced two witnesses who testified about having similar experiences with the defendant several years prior. Both witnesses testified to having been at drinking parties hosted by Weaver at his home in Trevorton, PA. Both women testified that they had become intoxicated, fell asleep, and awoke to find the defendant attempting to engage in sexual contact with them.
During closing arguments, the defense argued that the Commonwealth had failed to meet their burden to prove Weaver guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. They insisted that the Commonwealth couldn’t prove that the intercourse that had occurred was non-consensual, and told the jury that the victim wasn’t believable. DA Strouse argued to the jury that Weaver had been calling the victim a liar for 3 years, and DNA testing proved that the victim had been telling the truth. He said the Defendant still, even now, was claiming that the victim is a liar by insisting now that the sexual contact was consensual. Strouse referred to the to the alleged victim as an exceptional young woman, and said she deserved to finally hear from the jury, “we believe you.”
Source: Clinton County District Attorney’s Office
Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: https://clinton.crimewatchpa.com/da/133000/post/paxinos-man-sentenced-21-years-state-prison-sexual-assault
