A Butler County man was sentenced up to 34 years in prison on sexual assault charges, the state attorney general’s office said Tuesday, marking the latest development in the nation’s most sweeping investigation of sexual abuse in Jehovah’s Witness congregations.
Shaun Sheffer, 46, was found guilty in January of three counts of rape, three counts of indecent assault and one count of corruption of minors after a four-day trial that drew dozens of onlookers in Butler County common pleas court.
Prosecutors charged that Sheffer was a member of the Zelienople Jehovah’s Witness congregation in Butler County more than two decades ago when he repeatedly assaulted the young female victim starting at the age of seven and until she was 12.
During the trial, the victim testified that she was autistic and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression, and struggled to speak before the age of five.
Madaleine Rubin
Philadelphia man sentenced in latest Jehovah's Witnesses sex abuse case
“For years, this defendant betrayed the trust of the victim, taking advantage of their age and mental disability in order to sexually assault a child,” Attorney General Dave Sunday said in a statement Tuesday.
“The courage of this brave survivor to come forward and the tenacity of our investigators and prosecutors means this defendant will pay for his despicable crimes.”
Launched in 2019 by Pennsylvania attorney general’s office, the ongoing investigation is examining sexual abuse allegations within congregations statewide. The state has so far carried out at least 17 arrests from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, resulting in 11 convictions. Mr. Sheffer’s sentence of 14 to 34 years is one of the longest imposed yet.
Only one suspect in the investigation has been acquitted.
At the center of the statewide probe is a trove of internal documents held by congregations that contain extensive records of abuse – most of which were never turned over to law enforcement until after the investigation began.
Sheffer was arrested after the state obtained records through a subpoena and received a tip through a hotline, prosecutors said at the trial. State investigators organize documents by county, and files on Shaun Sheffer are part of a Butler County bundle that has so far prompted one other arrest, according to court filings.
Prosecutors said during the trial that leaders of the Zelienople congregation were made aware of accusations against Sheffer around a decade ago – but never questioned the victim or notified police.
Madaleine Rubin, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Butler County resident found guilty in latest Jehovah's Witness sexual abuse case
Around 25 congregation members attended Sheffer’s sentencing, while the court received dozens of letters in his support, sources close to the case said.
Attorneys from the Lindsay Law firm, representing Sheffer, plan to appeal the decision. Sheffer must serve a minimum of 14 years in prison before he is eligible for parole.
At least nine cases in the state’s investigation – including four in Allegheny County – have come from Western Pennsylvania, the birthplace of the Jehovah’s Witness religion.
Trials of suspects in Westmoreland County and Lancaster County are upcoming in June and August, respectively.
First Published: June 3, 2025, 2:04 p.m.
