Ex-Northampton Man Assaulted 12-Year-Old Girl

NORTHAMPTON, PA — A former Northampton Township man has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl in Bucks County.

Matthew John Wheeler, 43, was convicted Friday of aggravated indecent assault of a child and other counts stemming from a 2012 incident in the Churchville section of Northampton.

During his three-day trial, jurors heard testimony from witnesses, including the victim and Wheeler himself. Since 2012, Wheeler also has lived in Massachusetts and North Carolina.

Wheeler argued in his testimony that the victim was lying to protect someone else. But, under cross-examination by Assistant District Attorney Megan K. Stricker, he agreed that such fabrications would not benefit the victim.

"What’s the simpler answer here — that a bright, soft-spoken child with no history of lying would make up this allegation?" Stricker said. "Or is it simpler to believe that this happened?"

After the jury returned its verdict, Judge Jeffrey L. Finley revoked Wheeler's bail and sent him to the Bucks County Correctional Facility to await sentencing, which was deferred for an evaluation by the state Sexual Offenders Assessment Board.