Armstrong County man accused of sexually assaulting young girl for years

VANDERGRIFT, Pa. — An Armstrong County man is accused of sexually assaulting a young girl for years.

Joseph Hesketh, 34, of Leechburg, is charged with statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault and corruption of minors, online court records show.

According to the criminal complaint, the investigation into Hesketh began after Westmoreland County Children’s Bureau officials expressed concerns to Vandergrift police.

They claimed Hesketh had been persistent about adopting a young girl from the bureau, so they conducted a background check.

A 2018 referral from the bureau identified Hesketh as the possible perpetrator in an incident with a child, but no charges were filed at the time, the complainant says.

Police interviewed the alleged victim, who is now 24 years old. She told detectives that Hesketh began sexually assaulting her when she was 13.

She claimed that the sexual assaults happened for nearly seven years at a church in Vandergrift and a dance studio.

According to the complaint, Hesketh admitted to having a sexual relationship with the girl during an interview with detectives. However, he said the girl was 18 years old at the time.

Records show Hesketh was arraigned and is out on a $250,000 bail.

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