Pa. judge accused of sexual assault charged with blackmailing woman in separate case

A magisterial district judge charged last year with sexually assaulting a child is now accused of using his position to protect a constable who was being investigated for his own alleged sexual misconduct, authorities said.

Michael Schechterly, 58, was suspended in November from his job as magisterial district judge of Newport, in Perry County, after charges were filed accusing him of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old boy. He was charged with indecent assault, corruption of minors, open lewdness and unlawful contact with a minor.

But newly-filed charges allege Schechterly blackmailed a woman three years before when he heard she’d accused a constable of sexually harassing her, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed against him.

Schechterly’s attorney Brian Perry did not immediately return a request for comment.

The affidavit, filed by Pennsylvania State Police, says the following:

Schechterly was overseeing several open dockets involving the woman in February 2013 when he found out she’d accused the constable of misconduct. He summoned the woman to his office, accused her of lying and threatened to file additional charges against her if she moved forward with the accusations.

The affidavit said state police confirmed the meeting took place by checking Schechterly’s calendar and interviewing his office staff.

The woman told Schechterly the constable came to her house with an arrest warrant and suggested he would not take her into custody if she did “a little something something for him.” Schechterly told the woman the constable never said those things, and the interaction never happened.

READ: Judge charged with sexually abusing child was a church leader who had sleepovers with boys: police

Schechterly had control of the victim’s dockets until 2015, according to the affidavit. The constable is not named in Schechterly’s court documents.

State police said another woman told investigators the constable digitally penetrated her without her consent. They said various others told them he’d solicited them for sex. The woman who met with Schechterly was considered a witness for the state police’s ongoing investigation against the constable, according to the affidavit.

“The victim had every legal right to report the alleged harassment, solicitation and/or assault to law enforcement for the purposes of further investigation,” state police wrote in the affidavit. “This victim and any victim involved in the misconduct of the constable were clearly denied this right by then Judge Schechterly, who used his official position and powers to silence the victims and complaints.”

According to the affidavit, Schechterly admitted during an interview with state police that he thought he handled the meeting poorly.

State police charged Schechterly Thursday with intimidating a victim/witness, official oppression, and obstructing administrative law/other government functions.

Schechterly is already awaiting trial for his sexual assault case. State police said Schechterly touched the genitals of a boy with special needs in 2015 while they watched TV in his home.

Court documents said Schechterly, the former leader of a Newport church’s program for boys, had sleepovers with boys in his judicial office and admitted to having porn and masturbation addictions.

READ: Pa. judge accused of molesting 12-year-old boy should be suspended without pay, conduct board urges

©2021 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit pennlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.