Man sentenced on corruption charge

BY STACI WILSON

A Union Dale man will serve two and one-half to 23 months in jail on corruption charges after he attempted to get a 14-year-old girl to send him a sexually explicit photo of herself to him by text message in December 2013.

James Burrows, 41, was sentenced Thursday in Susquehanna County Court of Common Pleas. He was also ordered by President Judge Kenneth Seamans to undergo a sexual offender’s evaluation and was prohibited from using social websites.

The girl – a Susquehanna County resident – did not comply with Burrows’ request. The teen’s mother reported that her daughter had received sexually explicit messages from a man they did not know.

Burrows told police an “addiction” to the social media site, Facebook, drove him to ask the teen to send him the picture.

In the message exchange between Burrows and the girl, the man asked her age; “14” she answered. According to court documents, Burrows then made sexually explicit remarks to the girl and asked if she wanted to trade pictures; then provided his cell phone number to the girl.

At the time of Burrows arrest, District Attorney Jason Legg said, “Over the past several years, it has become apparent that the use of technology as a predatory tool has spread to our rural county.
Unfortunately, this trend includes the solicitation of nude photographs from young people that are then transmitted over cell phones and onward from there, as well as the outright solicitation by predators through the use of social media tools.”

Legg added, “…a proactive parent can assist in protecting not only their own child, but also other children who would otherwise fall prey to these kinds of predators.”

Others sentenced Thursday in the Susquehanna County Court of Commons Pleas included:

Nancy Lynne Herbert, 52, of New Milford, to 30 days to 6 months home confinement, pay $750 fine, pay $100 Act 198 fee, pay $150 PA Transportation Trust Fund Cost, pay $10 EMS, pay cost of prosecution, receive drug and alcohol counseling, complete safe driving school program, abide by Pennsylvania Ignition Interlock Law for Driving Under the Influence in New Milford Township on March 14.

Carol Joyce Korutz, 70, of Brackney, to 10 days to 11 months in Susquehanna County Correctional Facility with credit for inpatient treatment, pay $500 fine, pay cost of prosecution, pay $100 Act 198 fee, pay $300 PA Transportation Trust Fund Cost, pay $10 EMS, receive drug and alcohol counseling, complete safe driving school program for Driving Under the Influence in Montrose Borough on December 6, 2013.

Cynthia M Mattie, 44, of Montrose, to 8 months to 23 months in Susquehanna County Correctional Facility, pay restitution to the victim, pay $400 fine, pay cost of prosecution, pay $50 Criminal Justice Enhancement Act fee, not to have contact with the victim in this matter not to possession controlled substances or alcohol while on supervision for Theft by Unlawful Taking in Little Meadows on January 5.

Joshua A Wanamaker, 28, of Scranton, to 2 to 23 ½ months in Susquehanna County Correctional Facility, receive drug and alcohol counseling, perform 50 hours community service, pay restitution to the victim, pay $200 fine, pay cost of prosecution, pay $50 Criminal Justice Enhancement Act fee, not to possess firearms for Theft by Unlawful Taking in South Gibson on May 26, 2013. Wanamaker also received 2 to 23 ½ months in Susquehanna County Correctional Facility to run concurrent to the above sentence, pay restitution to the victim, pay $250 fine, pay cost of prosecution, pay $50 Criminal Justice Enhancement Act fee for Theft by Deception in Rush Township on October 14, 2013. Lastly Wanamaker received 2 to 23 ½ months in Susquehanna County Correctional Facility to run concurrent to the above sentences, pay $150 fine, pay cost of prosecution, pay $50 Criminal Justice Enhancement Act fee, pay restitution to the victim for Theft by Deception in Rush Township on October 14, 2013.