06/03/08 — A suspended United Methodist minister from Conneautville faces a possible 28 years in prison and $60,000 in fines after pleading guilty Monday to four counts involving Internet pornography charges.
Charges stemmed from incidents earlier this year when the Rev. Steven Richard McGuigan exposed himself via a Web camera to an undercover agent with the state’s attorney general. McGuigan believed the agent was a teenage girl.
McGuigan, 39, of 905 Washington St., pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful contact with minors and two counts of criminal use of a communication facility (a computer). He was arrested March 5 by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.
McGuigan was pastor of both Valley United Methodist Church in Conneautville and Hickernell United Methodist Church since November 2004. He also served as district youth leader for the Erie-Meadville district of the United Methodist Church. He was suspended from his ministerial duties following his arrest.
William F. Caye II of the AG’s office told Crawford County Court of Common Pleas President Judge Gordon R. Miller that McGuigan had presented himself to the agent (via the Internet), who pretended to be a minor.
He said McGuigan used the computer between Dec. 10, 2007, and Jan. 22, 2008, exposing himself. All four counts are felonies of the third degree and carry maximum sentences of seven years on each count and $15,000 bond.
When the judge asked McGuigan if he understood the maximum sentence he could face, the defendant answered “yes, sir.”
As part of the plea bargain, the AG’s office is recommending a fine and a standard-range sentence, which calls for restrictive supervision to nine months in jail. There was no recommendation about whether the sentences could run concurrently.
The plea almost didn’t happen after McGuigan told the judge that the AG’s agents didn’t read him his Miranda rights at the time of his arrest, but “handed me a piece of paper.” Miranda rights refer to advising a defendant of such things as the right to have a lawyer present and the right to remain silent.
McGuigan said he didn’t know what he was being charged with until he was put in the police car. He said he made no confession, but answered questions during interrogation. After further questioning by the judge, McGuigan was hesitant about entering his plea.
“I will withdraw the plea,” said Caye. “If he wants to go to trial, we will go to trial.”
“Before I make a final decision, I want to talk with him,” said the defendant, referring to his defense attorney, Bruce Barrett.
Following a court recess, McGuigan and his attorney returned to court and McGuigan entered the guilty pleas without further hesitation.
Judge Miller then explained Megan’s Law to McGuigan, referring to a state law concerning sex offenders. McGuigan now will have an assessment to determine whether he is a sexually violent predator.
Since he has pleaded guilty to the above charges, McGuigan will be designated a sexual offender and subject to registration with police for 10 years to report his living addresses. After further assessment, if he is determined to be a sexually violent predator, he will be subject to a lifetime registration requirement.
Miller denied a motion by Barrett to reduce McGuigan’s bond from $10,000 to nominal. Barrett noted his client has been incarcerated since his arrest and there is no other forensic evidence of any future charges against him.
Miller rejected the appeal, saying the likelihood of somebody absconding is greater after a conviction. McGuigan will be sentenced at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 12. He was returned to Crawford County jail, Saegertown.
Local News
Minister faces 28 years for Net porn
- Local News
-
-
Conneaut Lake Park roars into 120th season
Conneaut Lake Park’s 120th season is officially under way with its in-keeping-with-tradition, four-day Memorial Day weekend opening, and the “crowds are coming in,” Jack Moyers said Saturday.
-
Area communities ready to celebrate Memorial Day
Editor’s note: The following Memorial Day events have been reported for publication in The Tribune. All events are Monday, except those in Edinboro and Shermansville, which are planned for Sunday. -
Remembering Civil War Bucktails
A glimpse into daily life of the Civil War era is easy to see in Crawford County.
-
Area Memorial Day events
The following Memorial Day events have been reported for publication in The Tribune. All events are on Monday, except the one at Edinboro that is planned for Sunday.
-
Civil War soldiers highlight Meadville Memorial Day events
A courageous Meadville man — wounded three times but remaining on a Civil War battlefield until he was too weak to continue — is being remembered this Memorial Day as the Meadville Area Memorial Day Committee continues its mission of observing the 150th anniversary of the War Between the States.
-
Police: Locals admit to killing Ohio woman
Two Cochranton women were arrested and jailed on homicide charges early Thursday after allegedly admitting they killed an Ohio woman and buried her body in a shallow grave near their residence recently.
-
Reader 'Faces' are coming in
Mom's car dash, Meadville, PA
Lucy Kedzierski, 12, looks at the face every morning waiting for school bus!
She took this with a cell phone. -
North Street Project sure to be 'very disruptive'
With the preliminary traffic control plan for Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s North Street Project complete, Meadville City Manager Joe Chriest summed up the anticipated impact of the project, which is expected to span the entire 2013 construction season. “This is going to be very, very disruptive,” he said Wednesday.
-
Boat business booming in warm weather
It’s been a booming business in boats this spring, according to some area boat dealers.
-
City leaders not concerned after financial downgrade
During the past five years, Moody’s Investors Service has assigned three different ratings — all within the range of “upper medium grade” to the City of Meadville’s bonds. In 2007, the city was given a rating of A3, the lowest of the trio. In 2010, the city’s bond rating was raised to A1, the highest ranking in the “upper medium” category. Monday, Moody’s gave the city’s $10,000,000 General Obligation Bonds, Series of 2012, which went on the market Monday, the middle rating of A2.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks
Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results
Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class
Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack
Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes
