Indiana County man accused of assaulting young girl pleads guilty

INDIANA, Pa. — An Indiana County man accused of assaulting a young girl entered a guilty plea on Tuesday.

Mark Juart, 37, pleaded guilty to felony indecent assault of a person less than 13 years old. The harassment charge against him was dismissed.

Police launched an investigation after a report was made to Childline. Investigators determined that between Jan. 1, 2022, and March 19, 2023, Juart had indecent contact with the child. The victim completed a forensic interview at the CARE Center of Indiana, where the victim described the indecent contact to the forensic interviewer.

“Nobody should have to endure this type of offense being perpetrated against them. Children should have the opportunity to enjoy their childhood without being victimized” Indiana County District Attorney Robert Manzi said in a release. “I applaud the strength and courage of this victim and the victim’s family in standing up against the defendant. I also appreciate the great team we have in our county, including our law enforcement community and forensic team at the CARE Center of Indiana, to bring this defendant to justice.”

The judge ordered that Juart complete a sex offenders’ assessment with state authorities and that the Indiana County Probation Department complete a pre-sentence investigation.

Juart is scheduled to be sentenced on March 22, 2024, at 8:30 a.m.

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