Blazier

HOLLIDAYSBURG — The former Bellwood-Antis School District wrestling coach who pleaded guilty in July to raping and sexually assaulting a girl with whom he resided was deemed a sexually violent predator in an opinion filed by a senior judge on Dec. 30.

An evaluation of Ryan Blazier, 45, was performed by state Sexual Offenders Assessment Board member Julia Lindemuth as part of Blazier’s plea agreement.

Blazier pleaded guilty to charges related to a state police investigation that found Blazier raped and sexually assaulted the victim when she was between 3 and 8 years old, from February 2014 to October 2018. He is serving four to eight years in state prison, followed by two years’ probation in the case.

Blazier is also serving 21 to 42 years in state prison after being convicted by a jury in October 2021 of sexually assaulting two student wrestlers in 2019 and 2020.

A sexually violent predator hearing was held in Blair County court on Dec. 19 to determine Blazier’s potential classification. During the hearing, Lindemuth gave testimony as to how she reached the conclusion that Blazier’s conduct was consistent with pedophilic disorder, non-exclusive type.

Senior Judge Richard A. Lewis of Dauphin County, who retired at the end of 2025, wrote in his opinion that he was “persuaded by Lindemuth’s clear and concise testimony,” saying it “amply supports a finding of predatory behavior.”

Lewis noted Lindemuth’s 15-year service on the state Sexual Offender Assessment Board, during which she conducted more than 1,000 cases and found about 17% of them met the criteria for a sexually violent predator determination.

“(Blazier’s) conduct of sexually assaulting a prepubescent child over several years clearly supports the finding that Blazier could not control his deviate sexual impulses,” Lewis wrote. “All of the above factors support the conclusion that Blazier’s sexual deviancy increases the likelihood of re-offending.”

During the Dec. 19 hearing, Lindemuth said assessment board members look for “a pattern of behavior” when conducting evaluations and that for a “paraphilic disorder,” this means incidents occurring over a period of six months or longer.

As Blazier’s sexual abuse of the female juvenile lasted about five years, he is a “prolonged offender,” Lindemuth said. She later stated that, combined with facts of the case, Blazier is a sexually violent predator.

According to court documents filed Jan. 2, an appeal to the state Superior Court by Blazier’s defense attorney Joseph Addink was dismissed “as interlocutory” due to there being “no indication” at the time that “the sexually violent predator determination has been made.”

Blazier’s next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 20.

Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor-Musselman is at 814-946-7458.