Man wanted for sexual assault of child arrested in North Scranton

Aug. 31—A city man wanted on charges he sexually assaulted a child was held in the Lackawanna County Prison on $200,000 bail Thursday after his arrest at a North Scranton home.

Kareem Allen Shelton, 26, who is accused of assaulting a girl in South Scranton around 2017, was taken into custody Wednesday at 163 W. Parker St. during a joint operation by members of the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force and the city police Street Crimes Unit.

An arrest warrant was issued for Shelton after city police charged him May 4 with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child and corruption of minors.

The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual assault.

According to a criminal complaint filed by Detective Jeffery Gilroy, the victim, then 14, disclosed the abuse during a June 2022 interview at the Children's Advocacy Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania. A report was filed with police in November.

In the CAC interview, the girl detailed multiple instances of inappropriate touching or other sexual contact by Shelton that happened when she was between the ages of 6 and 8, the complaint said.

Shelton's arrest came after investigators received information he was living at the West Parker Street home, police said.

Shelton, who surrendered without incident, acknowledged he knew he was wanted by law enforcement, police said. He denied living at the West Parker Street residence but said he stayed the previous night in a bedroom on the third floor.

Investigators found a small amount of marijuana during a search of the room, police said.

Magisterial District Judge George Seig, who arraigned Shelton, set his bail at $150,000 on the assault-related charges and at $50,000 on new charges of flight to avoid apprehension, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Shelton's preliminary hearing was set for 10 a.m. Sept. 13.

Contact the writer:

dsingleton@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9132.