Decades-Long Abuse Unveiled: Jehovah’s Witness Convicted in Child Assault Case

Former Jehovah’s Witness Member Convicted of Child Sexual Assault in Pennsylvania

A former member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses faith has been convicted of sexually assaulting a pre-teen child, marking another case in a wide-ranging investigation into child abuse within the religious organization.

Shaun Sheffer, of Butler County, was found guilty of offenses that occurred in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was convicted on three counts of rape, including the rape of a person with a mental disability, as well as three counts of indecent assault.

“This defendant sexually assaulted a victim who was wholly vulnerable due to their age and mental disability,” said Attorney General Henry. “I commend the grand jurors, the trial jurors, and, of course, the brave victim for ensuring a predator did not escape justice.”

The charges against Sheffer were part of an investigation led by the 49th Investigating Grand Jury and prosecuted by the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General.

Since February 2023, the statewide investigation has resulted in charges against more than a dozen Jehovah’s Witness members, with some cases involving allegations of abuse spanning over a decade.

In other cases, former Jehovah’s Witness elder Norman Aviles-Garriga, from Lancaster County, was sentenced in November 2024 to 11.5 to 23 years in prison for sexually abusing three children. Earlier in 2024, Luis Manuel Ayala-Velasquez, from Reading, received a sentence of up to 46 years for similar crimes.

The Attorney General’s office continues its efforts to bring justice to survivors and hold abusers accountable.