Guo gets 23.5 to 64 years for sex crimes
Ex-Penn State Altoona student classified as sexually violent predator
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HOLLIDAYSBURG -- A former Penn State Altoona student has been sentenced to 23.5 years to 64 years in prison for sexually assaulting four underage Altoona girls, for operating a prostitution business at a local motel and for trafficking drugs.
Blair County Judge Wade A. Kagarise handed down the sentence Wednesday afternoon to Jeffrey Guo, 25, of Philadelphia, who has been in the county prison since his arrest by Altoona police in February 2019.
In light of the newly-imposed sentence, Guo will be scheduled for transfer to a state prison.
"I know probably nobody is happy with this sentence," Kagarise said as he looked toward the courtroom gallery that included the victims, their family and friends and three members of Guo's family.
The judge, who heard prosecutors ask for a sentence of 60.5 years to 121 years and who heard the defense ask for leniency, came up with a sentence that fell short of both requests.
In explaining his decision, Kagarise said he considered Guo's offenses to be serious and deserving of a serious sentence. But the judge said he wouldn't hand down a life sentence, as defense attorney Thomas Dickey called the prosecution's request for a minimum sentence of 60.5 years.
Mitigating factors, Kagarise said, included Guo's young age, his lack of criminal history, his intelligence and his acceptance of responsibility for his actions.
Dickey said he appreciated the judge's recognition of those factors on Guo's behalf.
"I was very much aware that he could have handed down a sentence that was much more severe," Dickey said.
Before Kagarise imposed the sentence, District Attorney Pete Weeks and First Assistant District Attorney Nichole Smith said they stood by their recommended sentence.
"This is not the commonwealth being out for blood," Smith told Kagarise. "This is what the commonwealth thought was fair based on the offenses he pled to."
The offenses included four counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, four counts of unlawful contact with a minor, four counts of corruption of minors, two counts of aggravated indecent assault, three counts of statutory sexual assault, three counts of possession with intent to deliver cocaine, marijuana and ecstasy, criminal solicitation of prostitution and procuring patrons for a house of prostitution.
Smith said she was pleased that the judge imposed consecutive sentences on the sexual assault offenses applicable to each of the four teenage victims, thereby recognizing each girl as a victim. But she was disappointed, she said, that the judge failed to impose separate sentences for each distinguishable sex act.
Instead, the judge granted Dickey's request for mergers and imposed no additional incarceration time.
"I respect the judge's ruling but we really did feel that 60 years was a fair request," Smith said. "It would have recognized not only what he did to these girls, but also the drugs he was trafficking, the women he was prostituting and the people he was luring into the community."
Guo, who spoke in court before the sentence was imposed, started crying as he rendered apologies and spoke of how he regrets his actions.
"All I ask for is forgiveness," Guo said. "I understand why a person may not be able to."
One of the victims, now 20, said she was 15 years old when she met Guo, who lured her to his Juniata apartment and raped her in March 2018. She said she felt disgusted and ashamed and remained quiet for 11 months.
"How could you take away my self-worth?" she said in court as she turned her head toward Guo, who had his head bowed.
The victim said she revealed what happened to her after hearing Guo had been arrested and was in jail. Before that, she said she didn't feel safe because after being raped, she said Guo told her: "Remember, I know where you live. That's where your family sleeps."
Altoona police learned about Guo after being contacted in February 2019 by the parents of a 13-year-old girl who had gone through the girl's cellphone information and became concerned. Pretending to be their daughter, the parents proposed to Guo that he come to their residence to "hang out." Upon arrival, they took Guo's car keys and contacted police.
Criminal charges indicate that the daughter and her friend, also 13, had accepted a ride from Guo, then 22, who took them to a motel where he sexually assaulted them.
As the investigation progressed, police identified an additional 13-year-old victim and they found that Guo was providing marijuana to a pair of Penn State Altoona collegians using their Gwin Road residence for packaging and sales. Police learned of Guo's solicitation of patrons on behalf of a female prostitute.
Altoona Police Chief Joseph Merrill, one of the investigators, told the judge he supported the prosecution's request for a lengthy sentence based on the multiple crimes and the multiple victims.
"I can't see any mitigating factors in this case," Merrill told the judge.
Kagarise, in a separate order, also deemed Guo to be a sexually violent predator, based on a recommendation and testimony from psychologist William G. Allenbaugh II. The designation and Guo's convictions will require him to register his whereabouts and related information with state police for the rest of his life.
Allenbaugh said his review of Guo's behavior indicated that Guo has an attraction to young teenagers that resulted in activity with the underaged girls, lasting about 18 months and resulting in the criminal charges.
The psychologist said Guo, between 20 and 22 at the time of his interactions with the girls, would have known the risks associated with his behavior and made no effort to stop.
"It only stopped when he was reported and arrested," Allenbaugh said.
Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456