Roger Young

A Butler man was sentenced Tuesday to the county Intermediate Punishment Program and house arrest in Butler County Court, after molesting young girls at the Patti Cake Child Care Center.

Roger L. Young, 69, was sentenced to five years in the program, with the first 60 days on house arrest with electronic monitoring, by Judge William Shaffer.

He was also ordered to pay court costs and $750 in fines.

The agreement also states that if there are no major violations of the program, Young may petition for termination of supervision after 30 months.

Young previously pleaded no contest March 5 to misdemeanor corruption of minors.

State police initially charged Young with three felony counts of corruption of minors and three counts of misdemeanor indecent assault of a person less than 13 years old, after allegations that he fondled three children, ages 9, 4 and 3, at the child care center on Route 68. The business was operated by Young's wife at their Oakland Township home in 2010 and 2011.

The charges were amended for the misdemeanor count and the remaining counts were dismissed as part of the no-contest plea.

One of the victims was present in the courtroom while her victim impact statement was read by a member of the Butler County District Attorney's Office Victim Services Program.

That statement said that every aspect of her life has been impacted, including her education and health.

“This has caused so much anger,” the girl said in her statement. “This has caused me to question my worth as a person ... You made me feel like an object and not a person.”

However, the girl in her statement said that she hopes to use the incident as “an example for other girls.”

Young entered a different no-contest plea in November, which was rejected by Shaffer after Young requested a continuance of a sentencing hearing.

According to the previous agreement, sentencing called for 12 months probation, with the first 60 days spent on house arrest with electronic monitoring and a fine.

The investigation began after a 9-year-old girl told a relative in 2011 that Young had fondled her while she was seated on his lap in a rocking chair at the business, police said.

The county Children and Youth Services agency was notified of the allegations and interviewed the children. Following a search of the home, police said, video surveillance showed Young molesting at least two girls around November 2010.

The facility had been licensed since 2009, according to previous reports, but has since closed.

Assistant District Attorney Richard Bosco declined to comment following the sentencing.

Young's attorney, Michael Zunder, could not be reached for comment.