Humber pleads guilty

BY STACI WILSON

After one day of testimony in front of a Susquehanna County jury, a Montrose area man pleaded guilty to two counts of statutory sexual assault.

 George Humber Jr., 57, entered the guilty pleas Tuesday morning prior to any additional testimony.

One of the plea agreements was for the case that was in front of the jury; the other plea was entered for a pending case against Humber.

Humber was charged with felony counts, including rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and aggravated indecent assault in June 2009 by State Police Trooper Greg Deck.

The Susquehanna County Independent does not identify the victims of sexual abuse.

According to the plea agreements, Humber will be sentences to serve six to 23 months in the Susquehanna County Correctional Facility, followed by 18 years special probation.

Humber is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 20 by President Judge Kenneth Seamans in the Court of Common Pleas.

District Attorney Jason Legg said both victims were consulted about the plea agreement and both agreed to the resolution,

In his opening remarks, Legg said, “This is about a little girl’s broken life.”

He described the victim as a “troubled girl” who was now “picking up the pieces” of her life through counseling.

The victim, now 16, was the first witness to take the stand Monday.

She testified to having a troubled life marked by her parents’ turbulent divorce, mother’s mental health issues and past incidents of physical abuse at the hands of her father.

She said she had spent about seven years in counseling – both individual and group sessions. She also told the jury her family was in a “better spot” now.

The girl testified to visiting Humber’s residence in January 2007 without her parents or any other adults present and said that was when the alleged assault happened.

The victim gave the jury details about the alleged assault. She, however, did not disclose the incident until the spring of 2009 in a group counseling session.

Humber’s attorney Joseph D’Andrea asked the victim about previous instances when the girl’s mother told her to accuse her father of sexual assault.

He also questioned the teen about testimony she offered at the June 2009 preliminary hearing in Montrose District Court.

D’Andrea also asked the girl to relate specifics about the assault and asked her why she didn’t tell anyone else present at the house at the time about the assault.

“They’re kids,” said the victim. “You don’t tell kids stuff like that.”

She told the jury that testifying was very difficult for her.

A previous group counselor of the victim also offered testimony on Monday, as did both parents, a sister and the grandmother of the child.