Man Sentenced To 30 Years For Kidnapping, Sexually Assaulting 10-Year-Old Somerset Co. Girl In 1999
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (KDKA) - A man was sentenced to 30 years in prison after kidnapping and sexually assaulting a Somerset County girl in 1999.
The case was previously unsolved for years after fingerprints and DNA found at the crime scene didn't match any other prints or profiles.
Advancements in technology made it possible to solve the Somerset County kidnapping and sexual assault case, along with two others.
Timothy Nelson, Jr. was sentenced to 30 years after he allegedly kidnapped a 10-year-old girl from Cairnbrook, abducting her and throwing her onto the floor of his car.
He drove into West Virginia, threatening the victim by pointing a gun at her head. He also struck her in an attempt to keep her from screaming.
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According to information presented in court, he sexually assaulted the victim then dropped her off on the side of the road, instructing her to count to 100, then call her mother.
The girl eventually took police to the scene of the crime where they found evidence that supported the girl's story. DNA and fingerprints were extracted from the evidence, but no matches were found.
In the fall of 2018, partial prints were re-submitted to a new fingerprint identification system, and they were confirmed as a match to Nelson.
Nelson was charged with multiple offenses and through forensic analysis, he was linked to other kidnappings and sexual assaults on underage females.
He will serve 30 years and pay a $5,000 assessment under the Victims of Trafficking Act.
