HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Philadelphia man has been sentenced to up to four years in prison for sexually abusing a young child in 1998 while using his position within a Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation to gain the victim’s trust.
Attorney General Dave Sunday announced Friday that David Balosa will serve a prison term of two to four years after being convicted by a Philadelphia County jury of two felony counts of aggravated indecent assault and related misdemeanor charges. In addition to his prison sentence, Balosa will serve six years of probation and will be required to register as a sex offender for life under Pennsylvania’s Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
At the sentencing hearing, the victim addressed the court and described the lasting impact of Balosa’s abuse. Attorney General Sunday praised the survivor’s courage, stating, “For many years, this survivor lived without a sense of justice or closure for crimes that they endured as a child — and without their bravery, this conviction would not have been possible.”
Balosa is one of more than a dozen Jehovah’s Witnesses members across Pennsylvania charged as a result of a statewide grand jury investigation into child sexual abuse within the religious organization. Prosecutors say the investigation remains ongoing.