LANCASTER, PA — In a chilling resolution to a case that has haunted Lancaster County for years, George Wakeley, 62, of York, Pennsylvania, was found guilty of 17 child sex abuse offenses. The verdict was delivered on March 18, 2024, after a jury deliberated for less than half an hour, concluding a trial that lasted two days under the jurisdiction of Lancaster County Judge Jeffrey Conrad.
Wakeley faced serious allegations involving the sexual abuse of three minors at a Warwick Township residence from 2003 to 2008. The victims, who were between the ages of 5 and 12 during the period of the alleged abuse, endured atrocities that have left an indelible mark on their lives. The charges against Wakeley included eight counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, three counts of corruption of minors, and six counts of indecent assault of a person less than 13.
Assistant District Attorney Fritz Haverstick led the prosecution, presenting a case that laid bare the harrowing details of Wakeley’s actions. In his closing argument, Haverstick did not mince words, expressing horror at the depravity of the crimes. “I thought I’d seen all of the evil and vile acts a man can do to a child, but then you see a man do something this depraved. Who can come up with something that sick? George Wakeley, that’s who,” Haverstick stated, pointing directly at the defendant in the courtroom.
The jury, evidently swayed by the gravity of the evidence and the prosecution’s arguments, needed little time to reach their unanimous decision. This swift verdict underscores the compelling nature of the case brought against Wakeley.
The breakthrough in the case came when one of the victims courageously disclosed the abuse to the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police in 2018. This disclosure set off an extensive investigation that culminated in formal charges being filed against Wakeley on November 21, 2022. At the time charges were filed, Wakeley was already serving time in federal prison on unrelated child pornography charges since 2015.
Detective Eric Zimmerman of the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police played a key role in bringing Wakeley to justice, both in filing the charges and testifying during the trial. The conviction of Wakeley not only brings a measure of justice to the victims but also highlights the persistent efforts of law enforcement and the judicial system to address and punish such heinous crimes.
A sentencing date for Wakeley on these convictions will be set in the future, where he will face the repercussions of his actions over those dark years in Warwick Township.
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