Wayne County man sentenced in child sex case

Mar. 8—A Carbon County judge ordered a 30-year-old Wayne County man to jail Friday following a child sex abuse trial.

Judge Roger Nanovic ordered George Karagiannis, of Honesdale, to 14 to 31 years in prison, followed by three years of mandatory probation. Karagiannis was given 129 days credit for one of the violations and must register as a lifetime offender with Megan's Law, according to the court.

A jury found him guilty in November of criminal use of a communication facility, photograph or film of a sex act, contact or communication with a minor, four counts of unlawful contact with a minor, two counts of corruption of minors and two counts of aggravated indecent assault, all felonies, according to court records.

The jury found him not guilty of felonies of rape of a child and statutory sexual assault.

The charges were related to a May 2020 investigation by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.

Investigators said Karagiannis met one of the two girls, who were ages 12 and 13, online under the name "John M." When he asked them to send him nude pictures, they did and he sent back a picture of a penis and another of his face, asking to meet the girls and requesting they wear dresses, arrest papers state.

The girls met John M. around midnight one day in May 2020 at a park in Summit Hill and he sexually assaulted them, law enforcement said.

The alleged assault was reported to borough police, who referred the investigation to an agent with the attorney general's Child Predator Section and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at the end of July.

Investigators subpoenaed Snapchat for information on the social media account used to contact the girls and got an internet protocol address that was linked to Karagiannis.

Karagiannis awaits sentencing in Wayne County later this month on two counts child pornography and criminal use of a communication facility, all felonies, related to a another case investigated by the attorney general's office in September 2020. He entered guilty pleas on those charges on Dec. 29, according to court records.

The Carbon County case was prosecuted by Deputy Attorneys General Angela Raver and Angela Sperrazza and Special Agents Nicole Whaley and Kate Fallon.

"The details of this case are disturbing, and I am glad to see a dangerous predator taken off the streets," said Acting Attorney General Michelle Henry. "Our office is committed to protecting and standing up for the safety of children across the Commonwealth, and will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who harm children."

Citizens may report child abuse to the Pennsylvania ChildLine by calling 1-800-932-0313 or the attorney general's Child Predator Hotline number for online sexual exploitation of children at 800-385-1044.

Contact the writer: achristman@standardspeaker.com; 570-501-3584

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