Child abuse suspect dies while awaiting trial

DA office plans to close cases against High, 77

HOLLIDAYSBURG -- A 77-year-old Altoona man facing child sexual assault charges in connection with several victims has died.

Daniel Mark High, who was incarcerated in November 2022 after Altoona police filed his initial charges, died at UPMC Altoona Hospital on March 26, according to Blair County Prison Warden Abbie Tate.

Five months after the first set of charges against High were filed, Altoona police filed additional child sexual assault offense charges against him, based on the allegations of additional victims who reported interactions dating back to the early 1990s.

High, whose criminal charges have been on the court schedule for regular reviews -- often continued to a later date -- were included on Monday's list of cases under consideration for jury selection and for trial in May.

But when asked about High's charges on Monday, First Assistant District Attorney Nichole Smith said that because High died, she will be initiating action to close his cases.

Court records indicate that High's November 2022 arrest developed from the allegations of a family member who saw High putting his hand inside a child's diaper.

Police said that when the parents asked the boy about the incident, the boy told the parents that High had touched his "weiner" and when the parents asked why, the boy replied "cause he wanted to."

In that case, High was charged with felony counts of corruption of minors and unlawful contact with a minor/sexual offenses and a misdemeanor count of indecent assault of a person less than 13.

After news of that first arrest went public, Altoona police received additional reports about High, leading them and lead Detective John Burns to identify four additional victims, now in their 40s, who claimed High had sexually assaulted them when they were in their early teens.

The victims, who referred to High as "Uncle Danny," even though they may or may not have been related, said High sexually assaulted them when they were 11 years old through their early teen years.

In one case, police said a victim revealed that High told him the assaults were normal, that everyone did it and that it was something you don't talk about.

In another case, a victim said High had told him not to tell anyone what was going on because they wouldn't understand. When the victim confided in another juvenile, the juvenile responded that it was a normal thing that happened at High's residence.

In investigating the additional reports, police searched High's residence and collected VHS tapes, DVDs, 35 mm film rolls, 31 photos, cameras, floppy discs and a flip phone.

While recordings displayed no child pornography, police said they offered evidence to corroborate what the victims said happened. Police also reported that the videos showed young male juveniles who were drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes.

In High's second case, police charged him with five counts with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse of a victim less than 16 years old in connection with the 1992 events, three counts of involuntary sexual intercourse of a victim less than 16 years old in connection with the 1996 events and single counts of unlawful contact with a minor, disseminating explicit sexual material to a minor and corruption of a minor in connection with the 2019 events.

In both cases, High waived his right to preliminary hearings. Bail, initially set at $175,000 cash, was increased by $50,000 cash when his additional charges were filed.

The county public defender's office was representing High before his death.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.