A Reading man was convicted of 12 charges last Thursday regarding sexual abuse of a juvenile victim between 2018 and 2020 at two residences in Lancaster County.

Joel Villarreal, 44 of the 1100 block of Chestnut Street, Reading, was found guilty by jury of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse – forcible compulsion, indecent assault of a person less than 13, endangering the welfare of children, unlawful contact with a minor, and corruption of minors.

First Deputy District Attorney Cody Wade prosecuted the case and presented evidence and testimony to the jury during a two-day trial before Lancaster County Judge Thomas Sponaugle.

“(The victim) isn’t a trained actress,” Wade said. “She’s not a professional witness. She’s a brave little girl who had the courage to get up on the stand and tell her story about the abuse suffered at the hands of this man.”

The jury returned the guilty verdicts after one hour of deliberations.

On May 5, 2022, the Lancaster City Bureau of Police was given a referral from the Lancaster County Children and Youth Agency regarding inappropriate sexual contact between a child victim and Villarreal.

The victim was forensically interviewed a week later at the Lancaster County Children’s Alliance and disclosed Villarreal had sexual contact with her on numerous occasions from when she was 7 until 9 years of age.

The abuse occurred at two separate homes in Lancaster city when Villarreal was in a position to care for the victim.

Lancaster City Bureau of Police Detective Ryan Hockley filed charges and testified during the trial.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sean McBryan, semcbryan@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @SeanMcBryanLanc.