Nicholas Benotto, 25, of Doylestown. (Credit: Upper Gwynedd Township Police Department)
The fourth of five men accused in the sexual abuse of a 12-year-old boy in Upper Gwynedd Township – and the first defendant to cause authorities to begin an investigation in 2023 – was sent right to jail Wednesday after being sentenced to 11½ to 23 months on a misdemeanor corruption of minors charge, according to Montgomery County Common Pleas Court documents.
Avoiding prosecution on seven felonies under a plea agreement, Nicholas Benotto, 24, of Doylestown, pleaded guilty last month to the misdemeanor, and felony charges of attempted rape of a child, attempted statutory sexual assault, possession of child pornography, possession of photographs or film of an underage sex act, corruption of minors by a defendant aged 18 or older (two charges), and misdemeanor charges of drug possession and possession of marijuana were all dismissed, according to Montgomery County court records.
Judge Thomas M. DelRicci also ordered Benotto to complete three years’ consecutive probation, meaning he will be under court supervision for about five years, according to court records. His sentencing includes required sex offender supervision while serving the sentence. Benotto must comply with all recommendations for treatment or counseling following a psychosexual evaluation, according to the court order.
He is to have no contact with the victim and is prohibited from having unsupervised contact with other minors.
The child sex abuse investigation began on Sept. 7, 2023 when a 12-year-old boy was reported missing to Upper Gwynedd Police.
Officials said a review of the boy’s iPad showed he had been involved in sexual communications with Benotto, and the two had agreed to meet at the time the boy was last seen.
While driving with the boy, Benotto was contacted by a family member who informed him that police wanted to speak with him regarding the boy’s whereabouts, investigators said. Benotto then drove to the William Penn Inn, where police took custody of the boy and conducted a preliminary investigation with Benotto, according to the criminal complaint.
Benotto told investigators that he met the boy on the Grindr dating app the previous day, with the boy claiming to be 18 years old, police said. Benotto added he and the boy engaged in sexual communications, sent each other explicit photos, and then agreed to meet, according to charging documents.
Throughout his interviews with police, Benotto maintained he didn’t know the boy was 12 years old, and messages sent by Benotto to the boy included “Can you prove your age,” “How old are you,” and “School id, or something,” according to charging documents.
Benotto also claimed the boy said he had lost his wallet and driver’s license, so he was unable to verify his age, police said.
Clockwise from top left: 24-year-old Joseph Slover, of Towamencin, 21-year-old Tristan Anderson, of Upper Providence, 31-year-old Brock Tharp, of Bally, and 24-year-old Nicholas Benotto, of Doylestown. (Credit: Upper Gwynedd Township Police Department)
Daniel Nixon, 25, of Hatfield. (Credit: Upper Gwynedd Township Police Department)As the investigation unfolded, police said they conducted a forensic download of the boy’s phone and iPad, which allegedly showed additional sexual communications with four other men, including 24-year-old Joseph Slover, of Towamencin, 21-year-old Tristan Anderson, of Upper Providence, 31-year-old Brock Tharp, of Bally, and Daniel Nixon, 25, of Hatfield Township.
Tharp was sentenced to state prison last month. Slover was sentenced to state prison in November. Nixon awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to statutory sexual assault last month.
Anderson is scheduled for the May 19 Call of the Trial List in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court.
Benotto was represented by defense attorney Ronald Greenblatt of Philadelphia. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Bradley Deckel and Lauren Marvel.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
