Child sexual assault case against John Kunco to move forward
John Kunco was freed from prison in May after serving over two decades for rape — a conviction in Westmoreland County that has been called into question.
Now, he also is charged with sexual assault in an unrelated Allegheny County case for a crime he’s accused of committing after being released from prison. That case will move forward, with a formal arraignment scheduled next month in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court.
John Kunco, 53, most recently of McKees Rocks and formerly of Harrison, pleaded not guilty Friday to the new charges before District Judge Bruce Boni in McKees Rocks.
Kunco is accused of sexually assaulting a girl in McKees Rocks sometime between May 23, the day he was released from Westmoreland County Prison, and Aug. 7, according to testimony by Allegheny County Police Detective Corinne Orchowski.
Kunco had served 28 years for raping a New Kensington woman in 1990 but was freed after new DNA evidence raised questions about the conviction. New York-based attorneys with the Innocence Project, an organization that specializes in overturning wrongful convictions, led that appeal.
A Westmoreland County judge revoked his bond following the new allegations of assault, and Kunco was returned to prison in August to wait for a new trial in Westmoreland County.
He now is charged with two felony counts of aggravated indecent assault — assault of a child, and assault of an individual who is unconscious or unaware that penetration is occurring — as well as charges of corruption of minors and unlawful contact with a minor. Misdemeanor charges include assault and endangering the welfare of children.
Allegheny County Assistant District Attorney Lisa Carey declined to comment on the hearing except to say that testifying can be challenging for young witnesses. Mike Manko, a spokesman for the District Attorney’s Office, also declined to comment.
The 7-year-old victim — who was 6 at the time the incident is alleged to have occurred — was questioned at length by both Carey and Kunco’s attorney, Wendy Williams. Innocence Project attorneys are assisting in an advisory role with the new case, Williams said.
Most questions focused on determining if the victim understood the difference between telling the truth and lying, and whether she had an accurate grasp of dates and times.
Williams acknowledged the difficulty of the situation for a young child. But she also expressed concerns about the alleged victim’s credibility and whether she had been coached by parents, law enforcement or lawyers. Williams called the situation outrageous.
“We all believe in his innocence in this case; we all believe that this is a rush to judgment, a ‘he said, she said,’” Williams said, adding that she believes that her client was not given the opportunity to cooperate with police before they moved forward with the investigation.
“If they don’t care what he says, and that is the culture of believing the victim, believing the child victim no matter what, which is extremely dangerous,” Williams said.
The victim’s parents, as well as victim advocates, were present for the questioning.
Several family members came to support Kunco but declined to speak with reporters.
Kunco is being held at Allegheny County Jail and will be transported back to Westmoreland County Prison, Williams said.
Formal arraignment in Allegheny County is scheduled Nov. 29.
Jamie Martines is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jamie at 724-850-2867, jmartines@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Jamie_Martines.
