Juvenile victim testifies in sex-trafficking case
D’George accused of prostituting girl, 14, to his friends
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HOLLIDAYSBURG -- The juvenile victim of sex trafficking testified against the man accused of prostituting her to his friends during a preliminary hearing in Blair County Court on Friday.
Logan D'George, 70, was taken into custody in September 2024 after allegedly contacting a "decoy" underage girl on social media and asking her to meet him in Ebensburg. Investigating officers found illicit messages and images between D'George and the victim while looking through D'George's phone, which he had willingly handed over to police in an attempt to defend himself.
D'George faces 31 charges, including nine felony counts each of child pornography and photograph/film/depict on computer sex act - knowingly or permitting child, four felony counts of promoting the prostitution of a minor, two felony counts of unlawful contact with a minor, as well as single felony counts of trafficking in individuals, statutory sexual assault - defendant 11 years older, contact with a minor - sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of children and criminal use of a communication facility.
D'George also faces misdemeanor charges of indecent assault of a person less than 16 years of age and promoting prostitution.
Magisterial District Judge Benjamin F. Jones bound all charges against D'George to the Court of Common Pleas following the hearing.
The victim, now 17, testified that she reached out to D'George for help with money in November 2021, because that is what her mother instructed her to do in the past. She said when she made contact, she thought D'George would have her clean cars like her mother did.
Instead, D'George offered her the task of performing "lower body massages," first on him, then on his friends. The situation escalated to D'George asking the victim, who was 14 at the time, for nude photos. The victim said D'George paid her between $20 and $40 for each photo she sent.
"He would tell me he had multiple clients who wanted to be with me," the victim said. "He asked if he could send them my pictures."
The victim said D'George told her she could get more money if she performed sexual acts. She would meet D'George in his car in the area around her house to perform those sexual acts on him "numerous" times when she was between the ages of 14 and 16, the victim testified.
Detective Eric Heuston with the Altoona Police Department said an Altoona predator hunters group called 911 in September 2024 to report D'George. At D'George's residence, Heuston said he spoke with D'George first before talking with the predator group.
"He said the group was trying to scam him out of money," Heuston said.
He added that D'George shared his phone messages with him in an attempt to prove he was being scammed, which is when Heuston found the messages between D'George and the victim.
Heuston said the messages include D'George talking about the victim "being worked" and setting up appointments for her to meet with "clients."
The messages also showed the victim telling D'George about school and not being able to work many hours because she's a minor, indicating D'George knew she was underage. The victim's mother also told Heuston that D'George knew the victim was her daughter and how old she was.
The predator group told Heuston that D'George contacted one of their "decoy" accounts depicting a 15-year-old girl on Facebook about meeting him in Ebensburg.
"He didn't come right out and say meet with him and his friends to have sex for money," Heuston said. "The messages were about meeting up."
During closing arguments, D'George's attorney Scott Pletcher said the commonwealth hadn't met its burden of proof when it came to D'George transporting anyone for sexual exploitation or possessing child porn.
"We haven't seen any child porn here today," Pletcher said. "We don't know if it actually exists. This is a closed hearing, so it could have been done."
First Assistant District Attorney Nichole Smith said Heuston had testified to finding nine files of child porn on D'George's cellphone and argued that the photos didn't need to be shown for a preliminary hearing.
"I need not humiliate (the victim) further by bringing those photos of her to a public hearing, not a closed one," Smith said.
Smith said D'George's messages to the victim "were very clear" and that there was more than enough evidence to bound not only the child porn and sexual exploitation charges, but all charges against D'George to the Court of Common Pleas.
D'George's next court appearance will be on March 21, according to online court documents.
Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor is at 814-946-7458.