A Pennsylvania man has been arrested and charged with first-degree sexual abuse for allegedly having sexual contact with a young child several years ago in Berkeley Springs.
Robert J. Taylor, 32, of Warfordsburg was arrested on August 1 by Captain Tim Stapleton of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department on a warrant stemming from an investigation by Cpl. Kevin Barney and other members of the department.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Morgan County Magistrate Court, Cpl. Barney was contact by the Pennsylvania State Police in June after police in McConnellsburg received an anonymous fax alleging that Taylor was a child sex abuser.
Trooper Jeffery Hahn reportedly received two faxes that made the claim, and said Taylor continued to be around children. According to court documents, Trooper Hahn contacted one alleged victim of Taylor, but that person denied any knowledge of incidents.
After the second fax, Trooper Hahn contacted the Sheriff’s Department to ask officers to do a welfare check at a Berkeley Springs residence where Taylor was known to live.
Sgt. Wade Shambaugh determined that Taylor no longer lived at the address, but Taylor’s ex-wife provided contact information for Taylor to police.
In an interview with Trooper Hahn, Taylor allegedly admitted to having sexual contact in 2015 in Berkeley Springs with a child under the age of five.
Trooper Hahn also concluded that there were other incidents and victims in Pennsylvania in which Taylor had committed similar crimes.
Based on investigations in Pennsylvania and Morgan County, an arrest warrant for Taylor was issued on July 18 and he was taken into custody last Wednesday.
Taylor remains in the Eastern Regional Jail in lieu of a $20,000 bond.
Trooper Hahn confirmed on Monday that Taylor will also be charged in Pennsylvania for incidents in that jurisdiction.
