Manor man accused of exposing himself to girl over 3 years
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A 10-year-old Westmoreland County girl who went to play at friend’s home in Manor told police hours later a relative of the friend exposed himself to her, borough police allege.
After subsequent interviews with a child welfare specialist and police, Penn Township police were notified the girl said similar incidents previously occurred at the former Penn residence of Michael J. Shoaf, 34, who now lives in Manor.
On Monday, borough and township police filed four counts of indecent exposure and single counts of child endangerment and corruption of minors against Shoaf. He was arraigned before Harrison City District Judge Helen Kistler and released on $10,000 unsecured bond.
Court documents said Shoaf was interviewed by investigators over the summer and denies any wrongdoing. He has no prior criminal record, according to online state court dockets.
“I can tell you that Mr. Shoaf vehemently denies any of these incidents ever occurred in actions or intent,” said Shoaf’s attorney, Patricia Elliott-Rentler of Greensburg.
The investigation began after the girl and her mother arrived at the borough police station May 13 shortly after the visit, Officer Ross Welshons reported.
The girl told Welshons that she went outside to “dance and do gymnastics” with her friend when Shoaf knocked on a window and waved to her. A short time later, she told police that her friend went on to a covered porch and Shoaf knocked again on the same window, this time exposing himself.
“(She) went on to say that this type of incident only occurred once at this residence, but four or five more times before at Shoaf’s former residence on Janet Court in Penn Township,” Welshons said in court documents.
Township Detective Patrick Schwer reported in court documents that, during a forensic interview with Kevin Rua, a forensic interviewer for A Child’s Place, affiliated with UPMC Mercy, the girl detailed alleged incidents dating back to October 2018, when she was 8 and continuing into 2019.
In one alleged incident last fall, the girl told investigators she and her friend were playing hide-and-seek and Shoaf asked to play. The victim told investigators that she and Shoaf hid in the same bathroom shower, where he allegedly exposed himself to her.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled Sept.15.