Sex Offender Caught At Science Center Sentenced To 3 Years In Jail
PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) – A sex offender accused of sneaking into the Carnegie Science Center and attempting to talk to a young boy was back in court Tuesday morning.
The judge said Sherwood Stevenson, 76, violated the terms of his probation and is a danger to society.
Stevenson was then sentenced on federal charges to three years in jail.
"The circumstances under which he came into contact with children I know is disturbing for the government, and so, I think that's probably what drove the sentence more than the fact of the charges themselves that remained pending," said Steve Colafella, the defense attorney.
Earlier this month, Stevenson was charged with providing false identification to police and theft of services.
Police initially charged Stevenson with unlawful contact with a minor and other offenses after they say he followed the boy's gifted class Feb. 4 and sat between him and a teacher in the center's planetarium.
They say Stevenson pretended to be the boy's grandfather when a teacher confronted him.
A judge dismissed a first set of charges against Stevenson at a Feb. 18 hearing.
Stevenson has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder among other mental health issues.
"He's going to need a little bit of help to get the help that he needs," said Colafella. "He's not demonstrated that he can do that on his own, and the authorities here are cognizant of that and i's sure will take whatever steps and measures are necessary to make sure he gets that treatment."
The judge also guaranteed a virtual lifetime of supervision for Stevenson. After the three year sentence, he's subject to 15 years supervised release.
Stevenson pleaded guilty in 2011 to charges he fondling a 6-year-old boy on a Florida cruise.
Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter
(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
