BUTLER, Pa. — A former Seneca Valley School District Security Guard will spend the next 10 years under supervision after pleading no contest to charges involving the alleged sexual assault of a female student in 2021, who was just 16 years old at the time.
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Matthew Cowan didn’t respond to questions from Channel 11’s Andrew Havranek as he left the Butler County Courthouse on Thursday.
“He ruined my life,” said Rylie Wehner.
Wehner is now in her 20s. She spoke to Channel 11 after Cowan was sentenced to two years of house arrest, five years of parole, and three years of probation, plus registering as a sex offender.
Wehner was just 16 in 2021 when Cowan was accused of kissing and touching her as well as pinning her against a tree and choking her.
“He deserves worse, but at least it’s something,” she said.
Wehner and her parents said the last five years have been extremely difficult. Panic attacks kept Wehner from going to college or holding a job. They said it took three years for her to be diagnosed with a trauma response in her stomach that was causing health issues and hospital stays.
“It was really hard seeing my family go through this, especially my little siblings since I’m the oldest. I represent them in a way,” she said. “Having them look up to me and see this happen to me at a school that they go to is really traumatizing.”
“Do you have any apology?” Havranek asked Cowan.
Cowan didn’t respond, but his dad tried to physically block Channel 11’s Havranek from asking him questions.
“We can do this all day!” Cowan’s dad said as he stood in front of the camera.
“That’s fine. It’s public,” Havranek said. “We’re on public grounds.”
“There’s no excuse for what he did,” said Wehner’s father, Sean. “There’s no forgiveness. There’s no apology that would be accepted.”
While speaking to the court, Sean Wehner spoke directly to Cowan, saying, “I wish I could rip your (expletive) head off with my bare hands, but my family has suffered enough because of you.”
Wehner also said, “I will make it my mission to make sure you’re registered every year and don’t fall through the cracks of the system.”
Rylie Wehner had a message for other students.
“Just speak up, and don’t let things like that happen to you, and don’t be OK with it,” she said.
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