VENANGO CO., Pa. (EYT) — A Franklin man was sentenced on Monday to a period of up to 32 years in state prison on sexual assault and child pornography charges.

Court documents indicate on Monday, June 22, Judge Robert L. Boyer sentenced 45-year-old Terrance Richard Morrison, of Franklin, to a total of a minimum of eleven years to a maximum of 32 years in state prison.

Morrison was ordered to the following:

• A minimum of 90 months to a maximum of 240 months confinement on one first degree felony count of criminal attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person less than 16 years of a age;
• A minimum of 18 month to a maximum of 60 months confinement on one first degree misdemeanor count of indecent assault of a person less than 13 years of age; and
• A minimum of 27 months to a maximum of 84 months on one third-degree felony count of child pornography.

The sentences are all to be served consecutively.

He was given credit for 271 days time served.

Morrison pleaded guilty to the above charges on January 10, 2020.

As a result of the plea agreement, the following charges were dismissed:

– Aggravated Indecent Assault — Comp. Less Than 13 Years Old, Felony 2
– Unlawful Contact with Minor — Sexual Offenses, Felony 2
– Indecent Assault Person Less than 13 Years Age, Felony 3 (six counts)
– Corruption of Minors — Defendant Age 18 or Above, Felony 3
– Criminal Solicitation — Indecent Assault Person Less 16 Years Age, Misdemeanor 2
– Indecent Assault Person Less 16 Years Age, Misdemeanor 2

The charge stem from an investigation initiated in January 2019.

Sexual Assault Case

According to a criminal complaint, on January 27, 2019, a known 13-year-old victim and two adult relatives arrived at the Franklin-based State Police barracks to report an issue involving sexual assault.

The victim’s relative found messages on the victim’s phone between the victim and Terrance Richard Morrison that were sexual in nature, as well as messages that showed the victim arranging for a 15-year-old friend to come to a sleepover at Morrison’s house which also referenced sexual acts. The victim’s relative asked the victim about the messages and the victim said Morrison “touched her in her private parts.”

The complaint notes the phone was turned over to Franklin-based State Police as evidence.

According to the complaint, it appeared from text messages that Morrison was trying to have the victim and her friend come to his house for the night and was offering to do “whatever (the friend) was willing to do” and mentioned specific sexual acts.

On January 30, Trooper Johnson, of the Franklin-based State Police, interviewed another one of the victim’s relative and learned that the victim had told her that Morrison “used his hand, penis, and tongue on her,” at least six times, the complaint states.

On February 6, a forensic interview was conducted with the victim.

According to the complaint, the victim reported that Morrison used his hands to touch the victim “everywhere,” underneath her clothing, and the victim stated she felt “scared” when he touched her. The victim also reported Morrison asks her to touch “his private parts,” but she refuses. The victim estimated she was 11 or 12 years old when the incidents began occurring.

On February 11, Morrison was interviewed.

According to the complaint, when confronted with the allegation that he touched the victim’s genitals, Morrison denied it and said that he and the victim get along well.

According to the complaint, Morrison also denied ever being alone with the victim.

The complaint states that when confronted with things he said in text messages, he stated he was referring to the victim and the girl doing things together. Morrison also stated that he deletes all of his messages at the end of the night because “there are a few people he talks to that he doesn’t want his wife to know about.”

According to the complaint, he went on to claim that he asked the victim if she hung out with any girls that were over 18, and when she said she did, he asked her to “hook him up” with one of her friends.

It was learned through the investigation that Morrison is also accused of sexual assault of the 15-year-old girl mentioned above. Police are charging him with soliciting oral sex, soliciting indecent contact, and corruption of minors (listed in the charges above), according to the complaint.

Based on the investigation, Morrison was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Patrick E. Lowrey at 3:52 p.m. on Tuesday, June 18.

Child Pornography Case

According to a criminal complaint, on June 22, 2019, a representative of the Franklin Police Department contacted the Franklin-based State Police to advise that a known woman was at their station attempting to turn in a cell phone belonging to Terrance Morrison.

According to the complaint, the woman noted that Morrison had recently been arrested for the sexual assault of a juvenile and was currently in jail. She went on to report that following Morrison’s arrest, she decided to look through his cell phone and found pictures of “young girls” on the phone. She stated that some of the girls were naked and appeared to be less than 15 years old.

The woman also reported that she found Morrison had been messaging young girls through SnapChat. She told police while she was looking at the phone, a message popped up from a girl, and she then identified herself and asked the girl how old she was, to which the girl replied she was 13 years old. The woman stated she felt that she should turn the phone over to law enforcement after discovering the pictures and messages, the complaint states.

The phone was then packaged and logged into evidence.

On July 9, a search warrant was obtained for the phone, and the phone was taken to the Pennsylvania State Police Computer Crime Lab for analysis.

According to the complaint, a review of the two DVD discs containing the logistical download of photos and messages from the cell phone found photos depicting the genitals of what appeared to be a pre-pubescent female. The complaint notes a medical opinion obtained from a physician at UPMC Children’s Hospital also indicated the photo was consistent with the genitals of a female likely less than 12 years of age. Numerous screenshot photographs of teenage and possibly pre-teenage females who were clothed were also found on the phone.

Morrison was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Patrick E. Lowrey at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, October 21.

https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/DocketSheets/CPReport.ashx?docketNumber=CP-61-CR-0000523-2019&dnh=FZUSFy3%2bmc6hZwKSDRZYwg%3d%3d

https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/DocketSheets/CPReport.ashx?docketNumber=CP-61-CR-0000881-2019&dnh=jlGKYKn7zPYes3sK6%2bODZg%3d%3d