Feds ask child sex victims to speak up
Federal authorities are seeking the public's assistance in finding potential victims of a former Butler County man suspected of sexually abusing children.
Robert Dean Caesar, 56, a one-time resident of Cranberry Township, is in federal custody while awaiting trial next month in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia.
Caesar, who most recently lived in Oxford, Chester County, was indicted there in November 2018 on charges of production, receipt and possession of child pornography, according to U.S. Attorney William McSwain.
The indictment alleges that Caesar manufactured child pornography in September and December 2017. He also allegedly received child pornography Dec. 20, 2017, and possessed child pornography Jan. 18, 2018. In total, he faces more than 200 charges in those incidents.
In May 2018, Cranberry Township police charged Caesar with sexually assaulting two boys, then ages 9 and 14, in 2005, when he lived in the township. Charges included involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person less than 16 years old, indecent assault of a person less than 13 years old and corruption of minors.
According to court records, one victim said Caesar invited him into his basement, where he asked the victim to model underwear and bathing suits, so he could take digital images. A search of his home at the time allegedly found 76 pairs of boys' underwear that Caesar said were sent randomly to him after placing a different order on eBay.
A search of his computer found “numerous searches for young boys and teen boy's underwear, both new and used,” as well as visits to pornographic websites, where he searched for videos of young men and boys engaging in sexual acts.
Court records indicate Caesar waived his arraignment in October, and has been awaiting trial. According to Sgt. Chuck Mascellino of the Cranberry Township Police Department, the case could be combined with other state charges at the federal level — a decision that will be made by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
For now, the county's case is inactive, according to Assistant District Attorney Robert Zanella, who said his office can't proceed with the case while Caesar is in federal custody.
“And because of that, this case is in limbo,” Zanella said.
He added that if Caesar is found guilty at the federal level, he faces 40 years of imprisonment. If that happens, Zanella said, “he's never getting out. That's what it will come down to, so we'll wait to see what happens on that level.”
Zanella added that double jeopardy, which prevents a defendant from being tried more than once in the same case, wouldn't apply in Caesar's case because the federal and county level are two different legal systems.
“Our case is different, so it wouldn't be a double jeopardy case, but how many sentences can you give a guy?” Zanella said.
The U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI's Philadelphia Division office reported that in addition to residing in Cranberry and Chester County, Caesar also has lived in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Norristown, Richland, N.Y., and Silverthorne, Colo.
Federal authorities ask that anyone who may have been victimized by Caesar or anyone with information about any potential victims call the FBI's Philadelphia office at 215-418-4000.
Eagle Staff Writer Eric Jankiewicz contributed to this report.
