Somerset County's former 911 director, Bradley Lavan, will spend the rest of his life behind bars after a judge sentenced him on Thursday, May 7, 2026, to 60 to 120 years in Pennsylvania state prison. The punishment follows his guilty pleas to sexual offenses involving five children, with prosecutors saying the abuse began in 2021 and was reported in 2023, triggering an investigation and his arrest.
Judge Hands Down Decades-Long Term
The 60 to 120-year sentence was imposed by a Somerset County judge after Lavan admitted to the crimes. Somerset County District Attorney Tom Leiden called the penalty "appropriate" and said, "Today, justice was served." As reported by CBS Pittsburgh, Leiden added that the term should ensure Lavan "is never able to prey on innocent children again."
Prosecutors Say He Groomed Very Young Victims
Prosecutors allege Lavan groomed children between the ages of 3 and 6 and forced them to perform sexual acts in his home, a pattern detailed in court and in local coverage. Lavan pleaded guilty in December 2025 to 39 counts after nearly a week of testimony from the victims, according to reporting by the Tribune-Democrat. Those accounts in court led directly to the guilty pleas and ultimately to the lengthy sentence.
County Work Not Tied To The Allegations
Officials and investigators have said Lavan's job at the Somerset County 911 center ended before his arrest and that his county responsibilities were not connected to the criminal conduct. Police say the investigation began after the children disclosed abuse in 2023 and that Lavan resigned from his county post in April 2023, as earlier coverage reported. Those details were recounted in local reporting and summarized by CBS Pittsburgh.
Legal Aftermath And Registration
Under Pennsylvania law, the convictions will require sex offender registration and could carry a sexually violent predator designation after review by the state Sexual Offenders Assessment Board. Local reporting noted that the board's assessment was expected to occur before sentencing and that Lavan faces lifetime registration under Megan's Law, per the Tribune-Democrat. Prosecutors said the lengthy term will keep him from harming children in the community for the foreseeable future.
