Man convicted of abusing boy

Blair resident could serve 36 years

By Phil Ray, pray@altoonamirror.com
HOLLIDAYSBURG — A Duncansville man was found guilty Wednesday of 26 counts of child sexual abuse, which could land him in jail for up to 36 years.

Robert L. Rothwell’s former home on Broad Avenue in Altoona became a refuge for young boys with family problems.

One of them, a 13-year-old, said he went to Rothwell’s house with other boys, and Rothwell allowed them to smoke, use marijuana, drink alcohol and view pornographic films.

The boy said Rothwell molested him in the summer of 2006 in exchange for four cigarettes.

A year later, while boy was undergoing drug and alcohol treatment and mental health counseling at Cove Forge Behavioral Health System in Williamsburg, Rothwell visited him four times.

During one visit, Rothwell took 10 sexually explicit pictures of the boy. Rothwell posed as the boy’s uncle to gain entry.

Rothwell, 46, was found guilty of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, child sexual assault and 20 counts stemming from the pictures, including possession of child pornography. He also was found guilty of giving the boy tobacco.

As the jury’s verdicts were being read, the boy’s mother began to shake with emotion, quietly wiping tears from her eyes.

The Mirror is not using her name to protect the identity of her son.

The mother said justice was served through the verdicts, but she also had advice for parents.

The people in her Altoona neighborhood did not know about Rothwell, she said.

‘‘Know where your kids are. I am a true believer in this now. Keep your children close,’’ she said.

Although teens sometimes can rebel against parental authority, the mother said, ‘‘Just stay with them every step. Keep after them. No one is there for them if you’re not there for them.’’

Rothwell will be sentenced after an evaluation by the Pennsylvania Sexual Offenders’ Review Board to determine if he is a sexually violent predator under Megan’s Law.

Blair County Senior Judge Thomas G. Peoples raised Rothwell’s bail from $50,000 to $500,000, a move that likely will keep him in jail until he is sentenced.

The mother said her son, who is home now, is ‘‘hanging in there — one day at a time.’’

Mirror Staff Writer Phil Ray is at 946-7468.