A game of truth or dare inside a Chester County treatment facility ended with a felony conviction this week, after a jury found a former Devereux direct-care worker guilty of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old resident at the provider’s West Whiteland campus.
The verdict came after a four-day jury trial and leaves the defendant facing state child-sex charges and a yet-to-be-scheduled sentencing hearing.
Shakur Austin, 28, of Philadelphia, was found guilty on Feb. 25 of involuntary deviate sexual assault, unlawful contact with minors and related child-sex offenses, prosecutors said. “This Defendant was supposed to help the child victim, but instead he sexually abused her,” District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said, according to Daily Voice.
Prosecutors say the encounter on June 30, 2024, began inside a campus building and grew out of what was framed as a truth-or-dare game. The 14-year-old later confided in another resident, who alerted staff. Supervisors then pulled internal surveillance video that backed up the account. Jurors were shown that footage and heard from witnesses, and ultimately found the evidence convincing, according to NBC10 Philadelphia.
Surveillance Footage And A Witness Sealed The Case
At trial, prosecutors walked jurors through key clips from Devereux’s own cameras, calling the video central to proving the allegation. Court documents indicate investigators believe Austin tried to block or obstruct one of those cameras during the encounter, a detail the district attorney’s office highlighted for the jury, according to Daily Voice.
What The Charges Mean
In Pennsylvania, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse is charged under state law as a serious felony, listed at Justia, and unlawful contact with a minor is covered under Justia. Sentencing will be set later by a judge under state guidelines, but a first-degree felony in Pennsylvania can carry a prison term measured in decades; statutory maximums are spelled out in FindLaw.
Devereux Response And Local Scrutiny
Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health told reporters it “does not tolerate abuse of any kind” and said it cooperated with investigators, according to NBC10 Philadelphia.
The organization has already been under a cloud in the region. A 2020 review by Philadelphia officials, prompted by separate allegations, led the city to pull local children from Devereux residential programs, according to a City of Philadelphia release.
Austin’s sentencing date has not yet been set. Prosecutors said the office will continue to prioritize child-safety investigations in Chester County. Authorities are asking anyone with information related to this case to contact West Whiteland Township Police. Survivors can also seek confidential help through national resources such as the National Sexual Assault Hotline.
