Westmoreland County man charged with sexually abusing two children
A Westmoreland County man has been charged with sexually assaulting two children between 1989 and 1997 as a result of a grand jury investigation into the Jehovah's Witnesses congregation.
Timothy Willochell, a 54-year-old man from Westmoreland County, is now the 17th member of the congregation to be charged by the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General since 2022.
He is facing numerous charges, including aggravated indecent assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, corruption of minors, and other offenses. As part of the charges, he is facing bail of $170,000 and is to have no contact with minors.
"This defendant preyed on two children, waiting for opportunities to assault them when they were alone and at their most vulnerable," Attorney General Dave Sunday said. "I commend the victims for their bravery in coming forward, and applaud grand jurors who continue to diligently hear testimony as part of a comprehensive investigation of criminal conduct involving members of the Jehovah's Witnesses community."
A victim testified before the grand jury that they would visit Willochell and his family around the holidays, and the abuse began when they were five in 1989 and lasted until 1992. The victim told the grand jury that Willochell would follow the victim into the bathroom and had assaulted them at least four times.
Another victim recalled that Willochell assaulted them at a summer camp in Westmoreland County between 1993 and 1997.
Willochell will have a preliminary hearing on July 21.
