Conrad

HOLLIDAYSBURG — An Altoona man has will spend 13 to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty on Friday to rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault and related charges based on the allegations of two girls that was supported by cellphone evidence.

Anthony Robert Conrad, 38, who has been in the Blair County Prison since his April 4 arrest, apologized in court, where he entered pleas to 24 sexual assault charges filed in two cases with different victims.

“He has always expressed remorse,” defense attorney Russ Montgomery told President Judge Wade A. Kagarise when asking for the negotiated plea to be accepted.

The mother of the two girls, who spoke in court about the fallout that she has confronted when trying to rebuild her life, also advised the judge that she agreed with the proposed plea and incarceration for a man she used to trust.

Assistant District Attorney Morgan Menard advised the judge that the plea calls for Conrad to have no contact with the victims. He also must comply with Megan’s Law, which recognizes him as a lifetime sex offender who, upon release from prison, must regularly register his address with state police.

Kagarise also directed Conrad to participate in an assessment by the state Sexual Offenders Assessment Board.

In April, Altoona police initiated an investigation into claims against Conrad after being directed to speak with a 15-year-old girl at a residence on East Logan Avenue.

While the girl initially denied having a sexual relationship with Conrad, she later told a UPMC Altoona nurse that Conrad started touching her inappropriately when she was 11 years old and began having sexual intercourse with her the previous summer, when she turned 15.

Police, in a search of the victim’s cellphone, found text messages and photos to support the girl’s version of events.

Police also searched Conrad’s cellphone and found video recordings of him fondling the girl. When asked about the videos dated in 2022, the girl reported having no awareness of being recorded.

In June, police filed additional charges against Conrad based on allegations of a second teenager. During an interview at the Child Advocacy Center, that girl revealed she was 11 turning 12 when Conrad would lie in bed with her. After putting his arm around her, she said he would move his hand around her body and touch her genitals and directed her to touch his genitals. She said it stopped when she was 14 because “she didn’t want it to happen” anymore and moved in with a relative.

Kagarise advised the girls’ mother that he had the discretion to accept or reject the negotiated plea agreement, prompting the mother to say that she was in agreement with its acceptance.

One of the teenage victims told the judge that she was satisfied “knowing that (Conrad) will be locked away.” She also advised the judge that Conrad knew what he was doing and knew it was wrong.

“But he did it anyway,” the teenager said.

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