14 September 2023- A total of 12 charges are being levied against a Warm Spring Road man after multiple children testify that he sexually assaulted them for a series of years, which he denies. Ezra Lee Beaton is charged with four different counts of felony aggravated indecent assault, two counts of felony corruption of minors, three separate counts of indecent assault, two misdemeanor counts of indecent assault without consent, and misdemeanor indecent assault person less than 16. Beaton was given a bail of $250,000, which was posted by family in the form of 10%, totaling $25,000. He is currently free awaiting a court date.
Ezra Beaton is described by his accusers as their mother’s ex-fiancé, to which later it is learned that there is currently a custody battle involving the children.
Officers interviewed two of the family members directly cited in the affidavit, both girls with one a juvenile and the other older. Both allegedly described to investigators a series of normalized sexual assaults primarily when they were laying on the couch or in bed. Investigators say in court documents that this continued for a number of years, with the earliest offense being dated in 2015. These assaults allegedly occurred at two houses, with them moving from a home on Warm Spring Road, Chambersburg, Franklin County to a home in Wells Tannery, Fulton County. Both the younger juvenile and the older ones issued sworn written statements to the officers and the court.
Contact was made with Beaton’s lawyer shortly after the interviews, with Ezra Beaton agreeing to sit and give an interview to investigators in McConnellsburg. During the interview, Beaton allegedly denied any assaults taking place and subsequently described his role as a “stay at home dad” and homeschooling teacher to their total of seven children under his care. Beaton allegedly said that the allegations are a work of his ex-fiancé, with him saying that a custody battle was what spurred the allegations. Nonetheless, authorities in Fulton County have filed the extensive list of charges in this case.
Ezra Beaton is free after posting bail of $250,000. His preliminary hearing is set for September 25th.
Sources: Docket Number: MJ-39401-CR-0000046-2023, Incident No.: PA 2023-582484
