Knox Man Receives 11 to 33 Years Sentence in State Prison for Raping Disabled Teen

Scott Shindledecker

Scott Shindledecker

Published February 8, 2018 5:34 am
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CLARION, Pa. (EYT) – A Knox man found guilty of rape will spend more than a decade in prison after he was sentenced on Wednesday in the Clarion County Court of Common Pleas.

President Judge James Arner ordered 58-year-old Thomas Edward Servey, of Knox, to 11 years and a maximum of 33 years in state prison.

He was found guilty in August 2017 of the following offenses:

– Rape Threat of Forcible Compulsion, Felony 1
– Statutory Sexual Assault: 11 Years Older, Felony 1
– Aggravated Indecent Assault – Complainant Less Than 16, Felony 2
– Corruption Of Minors – Defendant Age 18 or Above, Felony 3
– Indecent Assault Person Less 16 Yrs Age, Misdemeanor 2

He remains lodged in the Clarion County Jail and will be taken to the State Correctional Institution in Waynesburg, Greene County, to serve his sentence.

Thomas Servey

Erich Spessard, Servey’s court-appointed attorney, argued for a lesser sentence, largely on the basis of his limited criminal record.

“Mr. Servey understands the seriousness of the charges, and it is fair and just for the court to consider his limited criminal record and the fact he has always been a hard-working person,” Spessard said. “He hopes to try and return to some normalcy in his life when he is done serving his time.”

But, Assistant District Attorney Drew Welsh disagreed with the notion that a minimal sentence would be sufficient.

“In my sentencing report, I asked for a sentence of 15 1/2 to 45 years in this case,” Welsh said. “He (Servey) took advantage of a 15-year-old child with a developmental disability. She will have to live with this for the rest of her life.”

Servey’s crimes are a Tier 3 sex offense and require that he will be registered for the rest of his life. Servey was also ordered to have no contact with the victim.

Details of the case:

According to a previous exploreclarion.com article, Clarion-based State Police filed criminal charges against Thomas Servey, stemming from incidents that occurred at a residence in Beaver Township, Clarion County in 2016.

According to a criminal complaint, several state police troopers were dispatched to a residence on Knight School Road in Beaver Township for a report by a known woman who told police that “she found Servey in bed with a teen female victim.”

She also advised police that “Servey had barricaded himself inside his home and poured gasoline onto the front porch.”

During the investigation, the woman told police that “she had walked into the bedroom and found Servey and the victim unclothed and in bed having sexual intercourse. The victim ran from the bedroom, and the known woman drove the victim to a residence in Clarion Borough. The victim informed her that this is not the first time Servey has done this to her.”

The known woman returned to the residence, and before reaching the front deck, she could smell gasoline and saw a red gas can near the front door. She said that she walked into the residence to retrieve the dogs and spoke with Servey who was sitting on the bed holding a handgun.

She said Servey “told her that he had only did this one other time and that he knows what he has to do and told her to leave.”

Police approached the residence, but before reaching it, Servey was seen driving his 1993 Dodge truck toward the police, and upon seeing them, turned into a bean field. Servey ignored repeated attempts as troopers tried to make contact with him.

Servey drove through the field stopping several times to look at the patrol vehicle following him before stopping. Servey exited his vehicle and was told to raise his arms, at which time, “a shoulder holster could be seen on his person with a revolver inside.”

Servey was then arrested. Several rifles, a shotgun, and a muzzleloader were found in Servey’s vehicle as well as a silver 38-caliber pistol in Servey’s pocket.

The victim was interviewed at PSP Clarion, and she said that Servey has done this several times before and that he told her “if she told anyone he would burn the house down and hurt her family.”

A search of Servey’s residence produced a red, one-gallon gasoline can near the front door of the residence and a red, five-gallon gasoline can sitting on his bed.

RELATED:

Clarion County ADA Welsh Explains How Servey Is Free on Bail

Knox Man Accused of Raping Girl Free on $1.00 Bail Due to Speedy Trial Law

Knox Man Accused of Rape of Young Girl to Stand Trial

Nine New Rape Charges Filed Against Knox Man

Knox Man Accused of Rape of Teen Allegedly Treated to Harm Her Family If She Told Anyone

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