A repeat sex offender received a sentence of 83 to 166 years in prison for molesting two children, Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan said Friday in a press release.
Chester County Court Judge William P. Mahon handed down the penalty to Robert A. Jackson, 54, of West Grove, who lived previously in Kennett Square as well as West Chester. The conviction was Jackson’s second for child sex abuse, the release said.
Robert A. Jackson received a prison term of 83 to 166 years.
“This defendant is a stone-cold child predator,” said Hogan. “He has a history of victimizing children, culminating in the most recent attacks. Chester County law enforcement appreciates the appropriately strict sentence handed down by Judge Mahon. No child will ever be damaged by this defendant again.”
At trial, Assistant District Attorney Priya DeSouza established that Jackson had sexually assaulted two children, ages 6 and 9, for whom he served as a caretaker. The abuse was discovered and reported when a family member checked Pennsylvania’s Megan’s Law Web site and found out that Jackson was a registered sex offender, the release said.
“The defendant spent the first half of his life preying on children. He deserves to spend the remainder of his life in prison,” said DeSouza. “The defendant’s predatory past came to light and further abuse was prevented when a vigilant family member learned he was a prior Megan’s Law offender. This case is yet another reminder to parents to utilize the Megan’s Law website (http://www.pameganslaw.state.pa.us) as a resource to protect our children.”
Pennsylvania State Police investigated the case, with assistance from the Chester County Detectives. Jackson, who was convicted of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, and related offenses, was identified as a sexually violent predator in May following a hearing.
Jackson’s convictions date back to the age of 14 and include assaults, burglary, theft, escape, receiving stolen property, and multiple other offenses. He was convicted in 1988 of molesting two other children, the release said.
Chadds Ford Township Supervisors’ Chairman Keith Klaver, in the blue sweater, reviews a concept map showing potential trails in Chadds Ford Village as part of a brainstorming session. He said he must to work with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to reduce the speed limit on Route 1.
At one time in the not-too-distant past, the word “trails” was almost anathema in Chadds Ford Township. That was when the idea of Rails to Trails, using an old railroad line as a walking trail, rumbled through the township.
Actions, miscommunications, accusations and opinions over the idea led to a major change in the township’s political landscape. A sitting supervisors’ chairman lost a primary election, and a new board gave the Open Space Committee new members and a new direction.
Now, more than a decade later with different supervisors and a different attitude, the idea of having walking trails is back in favor.
The Open Space Committee, in conjunction with the Brandywine Conservancy and Museum of Art, is developing a trail from the township building at Ring Road to the museum along the Brandywine Creek. There is also a push to explore the idea of a “walkable” Chadds Ford Village.
The township, along with the conservancy and the William Penn Foundation, held a workshop on Nov. 13 for a Chadds Ford Master Plan that some hope will lead to that walkable village area.
Prior to the start of the session, Open Space Chairman Deb Reardon said the session was one for “visioning,” getting ideas from residents and business owners about what they would like to see happen in the village area.
“We’re going to start the first level of our plan,” Reardon said. “We’re talking about making connections.”
Those connections include not only face-to-face connections with residents and business owners, but also a connection between the two sides of Route 1 as it runs through the village, she said.
“It’s to create a sense of spirit, of community.” Reardon added.
All ideas were written down.
She said it could take about a year before a definitive plan emerges, and longer still to implement the ideas. Reardon acknowledged it would take time for some people to accept both the concept and the specifics of the plan.
“It’s a vision that’s going to come in layers and expand in ripples,” she said.
Sheila Fleming and Beth Burnam from the conservancy joined Reardon. Burnam, a land planner, also said the meeting was just the first step in developing the master plan.
Several dozen people attending the session broke down into five groups to discuss things they’d like to see happen. Myriad ideas were touched on, with nothing yet being eliminated or accepted as definite.
Some of the ideas included a traffic circle on Route 1 at Hank’s Place and another was having a pedestrian bridge over the road. Still others suggested a trail along the railroad tracks between Route 202 and the village. Some suggested metered parking, sidewalks, and trails in the village area. Another idea that arises frequently is reducing the speed limit on Route 1.
Township Supervisors’ Chairman Keith Klaver took part and said one thing was obvious to him: that he should work with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to reduce the speed on Route 1 and to get traffic calming devices installed.
“Consistent with that” Klaver added, “would also be developing our ability to cross [Route 1] with stop lights so we can connect not only our businesses in downtown Chadds Ford, but also have access from various parking areas to the trails we’re talking about.”
Burnam said one of the next steps would be to form a committee to try turning some of the ideas into reality.
Geoffrey Creary, a landscape architect with Simone Collins, is a consultant on the project. He called it an exciting process, but stressed it is a process and is not “an overnight thing.”
“This could take years to develop,” Creary said. “It could take several decades for some of the large items, but some of these things could happen next year.”
He did not elaborate on those specifics, but said what’s needed now is support in the form of establishing the committee to work on the project. And he asked those in attendance to solicit their neighbors to get involved.
Cap: Chadds Ford Township Supervisors’ Chairman Keith Klaver, in the blue sweater, reviews a concept map showing potential trails in Chadds Ford Village as part of a brainstorming session. He said he must to work with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to reduce the speed limit on Route 1.
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has announced the following road projects, which are weather-dependent and could affect residents in the greater Chadds Ford area from Nov. 16 through Nov. 23. PennDOT recommends that motorists allow extra time if they are traveling through one of the construction zones.
Route 1 in both directions in Pennsbury Township between Route 52 and the Delaware County line will require lane closures from Monday, Nov. 17, through Friday, Nov. 21. Sweeping of the road’s island and shoulder is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Route 202 North in West Goshen Township at will be reduced to one lane at the Paoli Pike interchange from 10 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17, to 5 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, for ongoing work to repair the structurally deficient Fern Hill Road Bridge over Route 202, which was struck and damaged by an oversized truck last November. Fern Hill Road in West Goshen Township will be closed and detoured between Old Fern Hill Road and Five Points Road through Dec. 20 for bridge rehabilitation. Detours are posted.
Work continues on the roundabout project in Pocopson Township.
Route 202 South in West Whiteland Township is scheduled for a bridge inspection on Monday, Nov. 17. The right lane will be closed from Route 401 to Boot Road from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. During the same time frame, bridge inspection of the northbound highway will require intermittent lane closures between Boot Road and Rt. 30.
Milling and paving work will require lane closures on Valley Creek Road between Doe Run Station and Rokeby Roads in West Marlborough Township. The work will be done from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
Cable guide rail installation will continue to require shoulder closure between Newark Road and East Baltimore Pike on Route 1 in both directions in New Garden and Kennett Townships. The work will be done from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday, Dec. 19.
The roundabout project continues on Wawaset Road in Pocopson Township. Wawaset is scheduled to be closed until Dec. 31 between Lenape-Unionville and Corinne Roads; detours are posted. Detours are also posted on Route 52, which will also be closed through Dec. 31 between Pocopson and Locust Grove Roads in Pocopson Township for roundabout reconstruction.
Burnt Mill Road in Kennett Township is closed and detoured between Norway and Spring Mill Roads indefinitely while crews prepare for repairs to a bridge that collapsed on April 24.
Island installation will cause lane restrictions on Kaolin Road at Ewart and Limestone Roads in New Garden Township. The work will be done from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Monday, Nov. 24, through Friday, Dec. 12.
Utility installation will cause lane closures on Marshall Street between High Street and Montgomery Avenue in West Chester Borough through Dec. 6; a detour is posted. The work will be done from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lane restrictions will be necessary on North High Street at Marshall Street from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Saturday, Nov. 15.
Overnight lane closures will be in place over the next week on Route 202 in both directions between the Chesterbrook and Route 401 interchanges in Tredyffrin and East Whiteland Townships, to complete miscellaneous items on the newly opened six-lane section of the highway. Lane closures will be in place on from 10 p.m., Friday, Nov. 14, to 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 15; on Monday, Nov. 17, through Thursday, Nov. 20, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.; and from 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21 to 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 22.
Weekday lane closures are scheduled on southbound Route 100 between Route 113 and Shoen Road in Uwchlan and West Whiteland Townships, for the relocation of construction barriers, part of a $17.4 million widening project. Weather permitting, southbound Route 100 will be reduced from two lanes to one Monday, Nov. 17, through Friday, Nov. 21 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
One lane will remain closed on Interstate 95 North at the Commodore Barry Bridge for construction through July 14, 2015.
If you want to report potholes and other roadway maintenance concerns on state roads, call 1-800-FIX ROAD.
A flash mob, a worn sock, and an eloquent immigrant were among the contrasting elements used on Thursday night to kick off National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week in Chester County,
More than 60 people gathered at the American Legion Hall in Kennett Square, united in a singular message: Amid affluent area communities, the number of people living in makeshift tent cities and substandard housing continues to climb.
Jaime Alvarez (center), who spoke eloquently about giving back to the community, is joined by his 14-year-old daughter Natalia and Kate Uhler, a 2014 Community Champion Award recipient who served as his translator.
In January, the Point-in-Time Count, a federal initiative implemented across the country on the same date, identified 684 Chester County residents without permanent, appropriate shelter. The 2013 figure was 625.
Supported by the Longwood Rotary Club, the kick-off event aimed to galvanize support for reversing those grim statistics. Its organizers – the Chester County National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Committee – offered a preview of multiple activities next week to raise awareness and several speakers to stress the importance of getting involved.
Before the formal program began, 17 dancers burst into the room. Directed by Tabitha R. Andrews-Colmary, the young performers from the KMC Dance Program dazzled the audience with their moves for about five minutes before disappearing. Cheryl Miles, who chairs the county’s NHHAW Committee, applauded the group’s willingness to come out on a sleet-filled evening to energize the community effort to end hunger and homelessness.
Kennett Square Borough Council President Leon Spencer said a threadbare sock ended up inspiring his remarks. He said he discovered a hole when getting dressed Thursday morning. He was tempted to discard it but realized that many in the county go without clothing that others take for granted. Instead, he said he decided to wear it.
Kennett Square Borough Council President Leon Spencer chats with Cheryl Miles, chair of Chester County’s Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week Committee.
“All day I felt a little uncomfortable,” he said. “I’m wearing them tonight.” Using the experience as a metaphor for walking in another’s shoes, Spencer then performed an a cappella version of “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother.”
Other speakers included Msgr. Frank Depman, pastor of St. Rocco Catholic Church in Avondale, who discussed the growing needs of Mision Santa Maria, a donation center that serves 50 to 100 Hispanic residents a day. The outreach helps the needy with food, clothing, education and health care. “Finding a place for people to stay is a bit more difficult,” he said.
Elaborating on that theme, Annalie Korengel-Lorgus, pastor of Unionville Presbyterian Church, described Family Promise and the Interfaith Hospitality Network, a new initiative coming to the county. The pastor said organizers are looking for congregations that are willing to use their existing facilities to house and feed up to 14 people without permanent shelter nightly for one week four times a year.
The initiative, which will partner with social service agencies, will be the 180th Family Promise affiliate in the country. The participants will be transported daily to day centers, where they can shower and receive care for preschool children. Older children will be taken to school, and adults in need of jobs and/or government aid will receive assistance. Korengel-Lorgus said service groups such as Lions Clubs and Rotary are also being sought to support those efforts.
Longtime community advocate Joan Holliday urges the audience to participate in the activities planned for National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.
Jaime Alvarez, who came to the U.S. from Mexico as a young man, powerfully extolled the virtues of giving back. Speaking through a translator, Alvarez, who now has a wife, three children aged 9, 14, and 23, and a grandson, said a chance encounter got him involved with the Kennett Food Cupboard. He said during a routine jog, he stopped on the street to help two of its organizers, learned about what they were doing, and became a volunteer.
Alvarez, who works as a landscaper, said his son, who is now 23, volunteered at the food cupboard from the ages of 7 to 11, and his 14-year-old daughter is about to start helping out there. Alvarez said when he crossed the border, he immediately found $40. “I was told that here in the U.S., you sweep up money,” he said, adding that he left it alone, figuring “I’ll get it on the way back.”
Since then, he said he has benefitted from the assistance of many others and welcomes the opportunity to do the same. “Remember, it’s better to give than to receive,” he said. “If you don’t believe me, ask a boxer.”
The program culminated with the third annual Community Champions Awards. This year’s recipients were Randy Blough, a volunteer with several charities, including the Lord’s Pantry food cupboard in Downingtown; Tom Gatling, whose work to end homelessness goes well beyond his duties as a housing coordinator for the Arc of Chester County; and Kate Uhler, the emergency assistance case manager at Kennett Area Community Service and a catalyst for the local chapter of Family Promise.
Joan Holliday, a longtime community advocate and member of NHHAW, urged the audience to get involved in the numerous activities planned for National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. They include:
Sunday, Nov 16: A prayer vigil and multi-denominational program of music, messages and meditations on hunger and homelessness will take place from 3 to 4 p.m. at CYWA, 423 E. Lincoln Highway, Coatesville.
Monday, Nov 17: Dubbed Meaningful Monday, residents are urged to use coupons found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ChesterCountyNHHAW for the participating restaurants that will donate a portion of proceeds their local homeless provider or food cupboard.
Tuesday, Nov 18: Get It Done Day, sponsored by Sun East Federal Credit Union and ACT in Faith of Greater West Chester, will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Charles A. Melton Arts & Education Center, 501 E. Miner St. in West Chester. It will give those experiencing hunger or homelessness an opportunity to meet the service and benefit providers who will assist with enrollments, answer questions, and administer health screenings.
Wednesday, Nov 19: A Walk for Hunger and Homelessness will occur at noon at various locations throughout Chester County, including the Genesis Health Care building in Kennett Square and West Chester University. Participants are asked to bring an item to donate to a homeless shelter or food cupboard. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/ChesterCountyNHHAW.
Thursday, Nov 20: Decade to Doorways 2nd Annual Community Partnership Celebration. This invitation-only event is designed to recognize those involved in the systemic efforts of Chester County’s 10-Year Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. For more information, visit www.decadetodoorways.org.
