Man pleads guilty in sex assaults

WILKES-BARRE – A Shickshinny man charged with sexually assaulting two teen girls, one of whom became pregnant, pleaded guilty Tuesday to two related charges.

Walter Joseph Engle, 43, of Waterton Road, entered the plea to two counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse.

Luzerne County Judge Fred Pierantoni said Engle must complete a sexual offender program and is to have no contact with minors or places they frequent.

Pierantoni said Engle will be sentenced on Nov. 19. Prosecutors are seeking a 10-year mandatory prison sentence on each charge.

Engle also will be required to register his address under Megan's Law for life. A member of the state Sexual Offenders Assessment Board will evaluate Engle to determine if he meets the criteria to be called a sexually violent predator.

Assistant District Attorney Jenny Roberts prosecuted the case. Engle was represented by attorney Steven Greenwald.

According to court papers, on Feb. 3, a Luzerne County Children and Youth worker received information that a 13-year-old girl was pregnant and that Engle was the father of the unborn child.

Two days later, Engle appeared at the state police barracks at Shickshinny and said he wanted to turn himself in for abusing and getting the girl pregnant.

Engle told police that inappropriate contact began around November 2010 and progressed from touching to sexual intercourse.

On Feb. 8, state police conducted an investigation that other sexual abuse occurred at Engle's Waterton Road home between 2006 and 2007.

Police interviewed a female who said Engle sexually abused her when she was 14 and 15 years old between 2006 and 2007. The girl told police the abuse began as inappropriate touching and progressed to sexual intercourse.