Man ordered held on child sex charges

A federal magistrate ordered a Bethel Park man held without bond Thursday on charges of trying to arrange with a Berks County woman to have sex with her 2 1/2-year-old daughter.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Amy Reynolds Hay reconsidered her ruling Wednesday to release Bernie Sherry, 25, on electronic monitoring after his parents said they didn't want to be his custodians in the case.

Sherry's attorney R. Damien Schorr said his client's father believed that neighbors with children would be nervous about his son living at the parents' home on Eastview Road, and to ease the tension, decided not to have their son live there.

Based on the parents' decision, Hay granted a motion by the U.S. attorney's office to reconsider her decision and ordered his detention without bond.

Sherry is charged with coercion and enticement of a minor for sex, receiving child pornography and possession of child pornography. Sherry, who didn't attend yesterday's hearing, remains held in an undisclosed location.