By Joe Pinchot
Herald Staff Writer
GROVE CITY AREA— Laura M. Shaffer probably should not have been associating with 13-year-old girls, but she probably didn’t have any other friends, said her defense attorney Randall T. Hetrick.
Hetrick laid out a grim picture of his client, who admitted indecently assaulting and corrupting the morals of two 13-year-old girls.
Ms. Shaffer, 20, of 111 Dale St., Grove City, who will spend at least 8 months in Mercer County Jail, has a lengthy juvenile criminal record and mental health problems, Hetrick said. She has only a ninth-grade education, and a low IQ and self-esteem, he said.
“We would just ask the court for whatever leniency is possible,” Hetrick said Friday.
According to state police, Ms. Shaffer inappropriately touched a 13-year-old girl Sept. 15, 2005, at a home in Springfield Township. The girl told police the touching occurred more than 10 times over a year’s time at the home and a nearby park.
A second victim, also 13, told a similar story of multiple contacts over a month’s time. Ms. Shaffer was charged with more than 100 counts of corruption of minors, indecent assault and harassment.
In a second case also involving the first victim, Ms. Shaffer broke into the girl’s home Aug. 15, 2005, and awoke the girl by assaulting her, police said. She was charged with burglary, aggravated indecent assault, corruption of minors, harassment and indecent assault, a total of nine counts.
Ms. Shaffer pleaded guilty Oct. 10 in each case to six counts of indecent assault and one count of corruption of minors.
Assistant Mercer County District Attorney Timothy Bonner called Ms. Shaffer’s conduct “reprehensible” and said it was “damaging to the victims.”
Common Pleas Judge Thomas R. Dobson agreed.
“They move on,” he said. “Do they recover? Not really. They are changed. You have changed them for the worse.”
Dobson said that, in cases when juveniles are involved, you have to inquire if there is a level of horseplay involved.
“This seemed to be far more than horseplay,” he said. “An incident of bullying, perhaps.”
Both victims told police Ms. Shaffer ignored their pleas to stop.
“She is much bigger than me,” one victim said of her inability to thwart Ms. Shaffer.
Dobson sentenced Ms. Shafer to 8 to 18 months in jail, followed by a term of parole when she is released for the remainder of the 18 months, and then a year of probation.
He also ordered her to pay costs, be evaluated by Mercer County Behavioral Health Commission and obtain her general equivalency diploma.
While Ms. Shaffer was not deemed a sexually violent offender by a state review board or Dobson, she will have to report her whereabouts annually to state police or, if she moves out of state, to the local police department. She also will have to report when she moves or changes jobs.
Dobson also forbade her from associating with anyone younger thaan 18.
“You cannot be around young children again,” he said.
Herald Staff Writer Matthew Snyder contributed to this report.
