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Ex-PSU student to face Blair court

Guo accused of sex crimes, running prostitution ring

A former Penn State Altoona student charged with sex crimes in connection to four underage girls, as well as running a prostitution and drug business,­ has waived his right to a preliminary hearing.

Jeffrey Guo, 22, of Philadelphia appeared before Magisterial District Judge Daniel DeAntonio on Friday in shackles and waived his case on to Blair County Court after a lengthy meeting with his attorney.

“I think it’s important for the public not to rush to judgment without knowing all the evidence and facts in the case,” defense attorney Thomas M. Dickey said Friday after Guo’s court appearance. “Whatever the interaction was between my client and these alleged victims was not how it was portrayed up to this point.”

Dickey said his client agreed to waive the preliminary hearing while preserving the right to challenge the evidence at a later date.

“A full evaluation of the evidence and the application of common sense, we believe, will support that there was no force or compulsion used on any of these alleged victims at any time,” Dickey said.

According to the charges, Guo was arrested the night of Feb. 13 after he allegedly arrived at the home of a 13-year-old girl. Altoona police contend Guo raped that girl and another 13-year-old at a local motel a few days earlier. In the days after his arrest, two more alleged victims surfaced — a 13-year-old girl who said Guo forced her to perform oral sex on him and a 15-year-old girl who said Guo raped her in March 2018.

A subsequent investigation into Guo led police to the home of three female Penn State Altoona students who then allegedly told investigators Guo had tried to get one of them to work as a prostitute for him, and that Guo sold cocaine, MDMA and marijuana out of their house.

He allegedly supplied parties with drugs and one of the women was selling pot for him, police allege.

Police indicated charges are pending against two of the women.

The investigation also turned up another woman who police said admitted she had worked as a prostitute for Guo and that he had other prostitutes working for him who traveled to other locations in Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York.

When Guo was arrested Feb. 13, police said he ditched a box in a yard that was later recovered and can be linked to the 22-year-old. It allegedly contained cocaine, MDMA and drug paraphernalia.

Guo is charged with 41 felony counts that include rape, kidnapping, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, promoting prostitution, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, corrupt organizations, criminal solicitation and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.

Guo was remanded to Blair County Prison after his court appearance on Friday. His bail remains at $1 million cash.

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