Police: Ashland man, Megan’s Law registrant, sexually assaulted related teen
ASHLAND – An Ashland man is in Schuylkill County Prison, accused of raping and sexually assaulting a teen they say was a close blood relative.
John Robert Shutt Jr., 47, of 1817 Market Street, was arraigned Friday on 15 felony charges dating back to last November.
According to the criminal complaint filed by Ashland Police Chief Gerard Daley and Schuylkill County Detective Thomas Robin, Ashland Police were notified on May 14 by North Schuylkill school officials about a report of sexual assault.
A 15-year-old girl reported that Shutt had been assaulting her for several months.
That morning, she’d been sent inappropriate messages. The girl was then placed in emergency custody of Schuylkill County Children and Youth Services.
Police obtained a search warrant for Shutt’s phone, and State Police pulled him over in Cass Township. Ashland Police then seized the phone.
He was interviewed at the Ashland Police Department that afternoon, waived his Miranda rights and admitted to sending the inappropriate messages. He claimed they were an accident and denied any other allegations.
According to the criminal complaint, one message stated “Wake up and get naked for [redacted] want to see you completely naked now.”
On June 13, the girl was interviewed at the UPMC Child Advocacy Center in Dauphin County. Robin was present for the interview.
She told authorities that the inappropriate actions by Shutt began in November 2023. He started asking her “if she thought about him in an inappropriate way,” and said that “it wasn’t wrong for her to think about him that way.”
Shutt also told the girl that he would masturbate to thoughts of her.
Actions progressed to slight inappropriate contact — “slight little touches” and he would brush his hand against her legs and rear — and escalated.
Shutt, police wrote, also asked her to take photos of her private areas and send them to her. He also asked her to video herself playing with said areas.
Actions escalated further, to oral sex, which included photographs afterward, and to traditional sex.
Shutt requested that he delete messages sent between the two and she eventually confided in a friend.
Shutt is facing felony rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, criminal use of a communications facility, corruption of minors, incest of a minor, and child pornography, along with misdemeanor indecent exposure and indecent assault of a minor.
He was arraigned Friday and committed to Schuylkill County Prison, unable to post $300,000 bail.
The incest charge requires a close blood relationship between the defendant and victim, defined as an ancestor or descended, full or half sibling, or full aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew.
Police declined to specify their relationship to protect the girl’s identity.
Shutt is a lifetime Megan’s Law registrant following an aggravated indecent assault conviction in 2005.
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