Center City Lawyer Surrenders on Charges of Raping 14-Year-Old Girl
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A Center City attorney is facing sexual assault charges after investigators allege he had sexual intercourse with an underage girl in his office on several occasions.
During a news conference today, Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams said 56-year-old attorney Brian Meehan has been arrested and is facing numerous charges.
Williams said the alleged victim in the case is a 14-year-old girl.
According to Williams, a Germantown couple forced the girl, living in their neighborhood, to have sex for money in 2012.
Williams says the couple knew the victim from the neighborhood.
"The girl told police that she had been recruited by the couple to have sex with men for money and they would beat her, threaten to kill her if she would try to leave them."
According to investigators, the 14-year-old victim was taken to "out-calls" at the defendant's place of employment -- a Center City law firm at One Penn Center -- several times where he allegedly engaged in sex with her for money.
During testimony to the grand jury, investigators said, the victim was able to describe Meehan's office and the interactions she had with him in the office. Investigators said she testified that Meehan engaged in vaginal and oral intercourse with her on several occasions.
Investigators also said she testified that Meehan told her he knew that she was only 14-years-old, that he liked younger girls, and that the youngest girl he had sex with was 12-years-old.
Williams said Meehan's arrest followed a lengthy grand jury and police Special Victims Unit investigation.
In October, SVU detectives executed a search of Meehan's office and say they recovered forensic materials consistent with sexual acts occurring in there.
Meehan, of Berwyn, Pa., is charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor, corrupting the morals of a minor, indecent assault, promoting prostitution of a minor, and patronizing prostitutes for sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl.
Meehan, who turned himself in to authorities this morning, was expected to be arraigned later in the day.
There is "a special place in hell" for the accused, DA Williams said during today's news conference.
Meehan's former law partners released a statement saying that Meehan was fired as soon as the case came to light and they are cooperating in the investigation.
The couple that allegedly forced the girl into prostitution is facing charges of human trafficking, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor, corrupting the morals of a minor, indecent assault, and promoting prostitution of a minor. Their names were not immediately released.
The girl told police she was sent to more than 20 men a week during a four-week period before being sold to a couple in Camden for $300.
Police are also looking for more victims that may have been assaulted by Meehan.
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