Pittsburgh police on Thursday arrested an Elliott man on charges he molested four neighborhood children, often using gifts and money to lure them into sex acts.
It was the third sex case in two days involving young children. The others were in Adams, Butler County, where a man left a pornographic picture and note for two young girls, and in Emsworth, where a man was charged with molesting a 6-year-old girl for several months.
In the Pittsburgh case, detectives are scouring a computer taken yesterday from the Crucible Street home of James Chapman, 33.
"We know the computer had some pornography on it, but we're still examining it for further evidence," police Cmdr. Regina McDonald said.
Chapman was awaiting arraignment in City Court last night on charges of indecent assault, corruption of minors, making terroristic threats, indecent exposure, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and criminal solicitation.
City Detectives Paul Clark and Nancy Jayme began investigating Chapman when one child came forward with allegations of sexual abuse. Police said the three boys and one girl involved are 10 to 17 years old.
McDonald gave little information about the investigation or what Chapman is specifically accused of doing.
"He's from their neighborhood, and he was friendly with the children," she said. "He knew them all."
McDonald said the children told police that Chapman offered them treats and toys to go with him. The alleged assaults occurred at a "variety of locations," she said.
In at least one case, Chapman is accused of threatening one of the children with harm if he or she told anyone about the sexual acts.
McDonald said she did not know how long the assaults are alleged to have occurred.
"Some of the young people could not remember all of the incidents," she said.
McDonald said the probe is continuing. She asked parents to talk to their children, and if any parents suspect their children may have had contact with Chapman, to call the city sex assault unit at (412) 665-4020.
In Adams, police Sgt. Jason Hammerman said police are beefing up patrols after an incident Wednesday involving the photo and note left between 12:30 and 1 p.m. for two 12-year-old girls at the Community Park on Valencia Road.
When one girls' 16-year-old sister arrived to pick the girls up, she found the picture and note had been left under the girls' soccer ball.
"It was a really graphic pornographic picture torn from a magazine, and it had a handwritten note for the girls on it," Hammerman said.
The 16-year-old girl saw a man standing beside a gold-colored sedan and talking on a cell phone. She told police she was going to confront him, but he drove away when he noticed her.
She said the man was wearing a white, long-sleeve shirt and had dark, thinning hair.
Hammerman said Mars police are aware of a similar incident — involving a man and car of the same description — that took place in Mars about a month ago.
Hammerman said local police departments, as well as schools and housing development managers, have been informed of the incident.
"We're going to keep an eye on anywhere where there might be a congregation of young girls," he said. "We're going to step up our patrols and observations of areas where we feel that this person may go to either watch or harass young girls."
In Emsworth, Allegheny County police arrested a man they say molested and beat a 6-year-old girl during the past several months. Lydell Cobbs, 21, of Walnut Road, Emsworth, was charged Wednesday with multiple counts of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, indecent exposure, aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, corruption of minors and making terroristic threats, Allegheny County Police Lt. David Walsh said. Cobbs remained in Allegheny County Jail yesterday in lieu of $500,000 bond.
All of the alleged assaults occurred in Cobbs' home, Walsh said.
