Bellefonte man sentenced to state prison for sexual violence against two children
A man accused of sexual violence against two children in Bellefonte is headed to state prison, a punishment that one of the children described as a sense of relief.
Desmond Boyer, 37, was sentenced Friday by Centre County Judge Brian Marshall to at least three years in state prison. His maximum sentence is six years. He received credit for about 14 months served in the Centre County Correctional Facility.
He was also sentenced to three years of probation.
“Because of you, it’s hard for me to trust people. You have treated me like an object and I am a ... human being with a whole life ahead of me and outside of your disgusting and demented fantasy,” one of the children told Boyer. “You are worthless.”
Boyer was arrested in April 2021 after a yearslong borough police investigation. He was accused of rape, forced oral sex and groping at four locations.
He attempted to bribe both children with toys and money to prevent them from disclosing the alleged abuse, police wrote in an affidavit of probable cause.
“She wants everyone to know that she feels a sense of relief knowing that Desmond will be going to jail and cannot hurt anyone again, and does not want him to be allowed out early,” Centre County early outreach victim advocate Liz Rosenberg said on behalf of one of the children. “For the things he has done to herself and others, she hopes he gets the punishment he truly deserves so those who are victims of him crime can heal.”
Boyer pleaded no contest in April to five felony counts of aggravated indecent assault of someone younger than 13 and three felony counts of indecent assault of someone younger than 13. A dozen felonies were dropped, including two counts of child rape.
The plea meant he accepted the conviction, but did not expressly admit he committed the crime.
Boyer declined comment before Marshall handed down the sentence. Defense lawyer Julian Allatt declined comment after the hearing.
The father of one of the children described Boyer as a “textbook” narcissist.
“The two children that you hurt have to live with what you did to them every day of their lives. From what I’ve seen, despite that, they are turning out to be far better people than you could ever have been,” he said. “We all know that the justice system needs fixed. If it functioned properly, people like you would never see the outside of a prison cell. But as it stands, you will. ... And when the sun shines on your face one more time, I hope it shines on corn husks that reflects the disgusting and callous innards that you possess.”
