By Keith Heffintrayer of North Penn Now & Tom Sofield of LevittownNow.com
A child sex abuse investigation by Montgomery County authorities has led to the arrest of four men, including one with connections to Levittown.
The investigation was triggered on Sept. 7, 2023, following the disappearance of a 12-year-old boy, who was later found to have engaged in sexual communications with an adult through his iPad, investigators said.
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The Upper Gwynedd Police Department and Montgomery County Detective Bureau spearheaded the probe. The news was first reported by NorthPennNow.com.
Credit: Upper Gwynedd Police Department
Among those arrested was Tristan Anderson, 21, who has recent addresses in Montgomery County and the Levittown section of Bristol Township. He was charged with rape of a child, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault of a person less than 13 years of age, unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of minors, and criminal use of a communication facility.
Anderson is accused of having more than one sexual encounter with the boy, police said.
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The communication between Anderson and the boy began over Discord, a platform that allows for online communication, authorities said.
According to a criminal complaint, the conversations included explicit sexual discussions and arrangements to meet, with meetings allegedly occurring in Anderson’s vehicle.
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A forensic interview conducted by Montgomery County authorities revealed the boy considered Anderson his boyfriend and stated they had met twice for sexual encounters. The discussions between the boy and Anderson also included activities such as making pillow forts and playing with LEGOs, which authorities stated showed Anderson’s awareness of the boy’s age, police said.
Law enforcement used cell phone tracking to place Anderson at the locations described by the boy, and descriptions of Anderson’s vehicle were corroborated by police, court papers stated.
Anderson was arraigned last Friday and was being held at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility on $200,000 cash bail.
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Also charged in the investigation were Nicholas Benotto, 24, of Doylestown; Joseph Slover, 24, of Towamencin, Montgomery County; and Brock Tharp, 31, of Bally, Berks County.
Chief David Duffy, of the Upper Gwynedd Township Police Department, told NorthPennNow.com that the investigation as “unusual” due to the multiple arrests from separate incidents involving the same victim but noted that he has seen similar cases in his career.
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Authorities stated that additional arrests could be coming as the investigation continues.
If you or someone you know is being sexually abused, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673 or visit online.rainn.org. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline is also available here.
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