Greensburg, PA -- Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole W. Ziccarelli announces the guilty plea and sentencing of a man who sexually assaulted a young child on multiple occasions. 

John Schmidt-Short, 28, entered a general guilty plea on September 28, 2026, in two separate cases involving the sexual assault of a child and charges related to a domestic violence incident. 

Common Pleas Judge Christopher Feliciani sentenced Schmidt-Short to serve 7 to 14 years in state prison followed by 8 years of probation for the sexual assault case. In addition, Schmidt-Short was also sentenced to serve 5 to 10 years to run concurrently for the domestic violence-related charges. 

Schmidt-Short will also be a lifetime Megan's Law registrant. 

Greensburg Police arrested Schmidt-Short in 2025 after receiving a ChildLine detailing allegations of inappropriate contact with a minor which prompted the investigation. 

A relative of the victim relayed to police the victim and Schmidt-Short had sleepovers where the victim would sleep on a makeshift bed and Schmidt-Short would sleep on the couch. 

After a sleepover in February, the victim disclosed that the child's private area hurt. 

Detectives said a sexual assault examination and a forensic interview was conducted on the victim. 

The victim alleged that Schmidt-Short was touching the child's private area and claimed the assaults started in late summer of 2024. 

The victim told investigators that Schmidt-Short would tell the child the next day that what happened was a secret.

According to detectives, medical records showed the victim had an injury consistent with acute trauma to the child's private region consistent with the child's allegations. 

DA Ziccarelli thanks Assistant District Attorney Katie R. Ellwood for prosecuting this case on behalf of the Commonwealth and reaching this resolution.