Man groomed minor and raped her inside novelty store at Pennsylvania mall, cops say
A Pennsylvania man groomed a girl and then sexually assaulted her multiple times inside a mall shop, police said.
Steven Paul Najarian, 53, of Sinking Spring is facing nine felony charges, including rape and trafficking in individuals, court records show.
A sexual assault investigation revealed Najarian “groomed a juvenile female, leading to unlawful sexual encounters at a novelty store located inside the Berkshire Mall,” Wyomissing Chief of Police John Phillips said in a Dec. 17 news release.
The victim told investigators Najarian sexually assaulted her multiple times since May in the back room of the store and would give her $50 or $100 afterward, WFMZ reported.
She told authorities Najarian threatened to kill her or hire someone to kill her if she told anyone about the assaults, the outlet reported.
Police did not include the name of the store.
Najarian was booked at the Berks County Prison on Dec. 17 and posted $25,000 bail Dec. 18, court records show.
He is also charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, intimidating a person to refrain from reporting, corruption of minors, and intending to obstruct child abuse investigation, according to court records. Attorney information for Najarian was not available.
The Wyomissing Police Department said it believes there may be additional victims and asks anyone with information to contact Detective Joseph Klatt at (610) 816-9874.
“Individuals wishing to remain anonymous may also provide tips through the Wyomissing Police Department Website or through Crime Alert Berks at (877) 373-9913,” police said.
Wyomissing is about a 65-mile drive northwest from Philadelphia.
This story was originally published December 19, 2024 at 12:33 PM with the headline "Man groomed minor and raped her inside novelty store at Pennsylvania mall, cops say."
