Four years after Greensburg police accused him of sexually abusing a 5-year-old girl over a 15-month period, David Landman walked out of a Westmoreland County courtroom Friday with a sentence of probation and no additional time behind bars. The resolution came after prosecutors agreed to drop the most serious felony charges against him in exchange for guilty pleas to two misdemeanors tied not to physical abuse, but to a lack of supervision.
Felony Sex Charges Dropped for Misdemeanor Pleas
Landman had faced felony counts including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, and corruption of a minor, all of which prosecutors agreed to drop after four years of pretrial litigation, according to TribLIVE. In their place, Landman pleaded guilty on Friday to misdemeanor counts of child endangerment and reckless endangerment, charges that specifically pertain to a lack of supervision rather than physical acts of sexual assault. As CBS News Pittsburgh reported, KDKA-TV's Chris DeRose covered the plea deal and probation sentence as it unfolded.
Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio formally accepted the negotiated plea bargain, sentencing Landman to seven years' probation and barring him from any future contact with the child, the outlet's report notes. He will not serve any additional time behind bars.
Defense Says No Admission of Assault
Defense attorney Tom McKinley told reporters outside the courthouse Friday that Landman pleaded guilty to no assaultive conduct, emphasizing that the conviction solely involved supervisory negligence, according to CBS News. Landman had maintained his innocence following his 2022 arrest, per the same TribLIVE account.
In a related development, prosecutors completely dismissed a companion criminal case against Landman's girlfriend, 30-year-old Haily Lynn Foley, who had been charged with child endangerment, hindering prosecution, and failing to report sexual assault. Foley had been facing a joint trial scheduled for the following week before the charges against her were dropped entirely, the report states.
Prosecutors Consulted Victim's Family Before Deal
Assistant District Attorney Jackie Knupp said prosecutors met directly with the victim's mother and family to address child safety concerns before offering the plea deal, which the family ultimately accepted. Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said obtaining guaranteed accountability and a seven-year no-contact order in open court outweighed the evidentiary risks of going to trial, commending the young victim's strength while defending her prosecution team's strategy, per CBS News.
Not everyone in the victim's circle came away reassured. Following Friday's hearing, victim family member Jesseka Chapman told reporters that while the family felt relief, they remained fearful because Landman was not required to wear an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet. Landman had previously been released on bail after his initial incarceration following his 2022 arrest, the outlet reported.
How the Case Began in 2022
The criminal case originated in August 2022 after Greensburg police investigated allegations brought by the child's mother that her 5-year-old daughter was subjected to abuse over a 15-month period while in Landman's care, according to CBS News's earlier coverage. Medical examinations at UPMC Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh preceded the filing of charges. That same month, Greensburg police also charged a 14-year-old juvenile as an active participant in the alleged abuse occurring inside the Greensburg home, though juvenile court proceedings in Pennsylvania remain separate and confidential under state law.
-4.webp?w=160&h=400&fit=crop&crop=edges)
