A 34-year-old Darby man was sentenced Tuesday to 5 to 10 years in state prison after pleading guilty to aggravated indecent assault of a child in a case involving an 11-year-old girl in Lansdowne. Charles M. Taylor will also serve three years of consecutive probation, the Delco Times reported.
The case began on March 3, 2026, when Upper Darby police responded to East Baltimore Avenue in Lansdowne after a report of a man crying and yelling on the phone. According to the Delco Times’ account of the police report and affidavit, Taylor told an officer he had touched the girl inappropriately. He later waived his Miranda rights and gave police a statement.
The affidavit says the girl told investigators Taylor touched her over her clothes on two occasions. The prosecutor and defense attorney stipulated to the affidavit during the plea proceeding, the Delco Times reported. Taylor’s plea resolved the case without a trial; the remaining charges against him were dismissed.
Registration and a separate assessment
The conviction requires Taylor to register as a sex offender for life. The Pennsylvania State Police Megan’s Law information identifies Tier III as the state’s highest registration tier, with lifetime registration. Taylor was also ordered to provide a DNA sample, have no contact with the victim and have no unsupervised contact with minors, according to the Delco Times.
A separate question remains: whether Taylor will be designated a Sexually Violent Predator. The state’s Sexual Offenders Assessment Board evaluates people referred for that determination; a designation is not established merely by the conviction. Taylor is to undergo an assessment, and any designation would require a further court process, the Delco Times reported.
County services are a distinct part of the response
A criminal case is only one part of the response to allegations of child abuse. Delaware County Children and Youth Services says it investigates allegations of child abuse and neglect and provides case management and related support to children and families. The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency describes Children’s Advocacy Centers as coordinating medical care, treatment and social services while gathering evidence through age-appropriate forensic interviews.
The state agency’s description explains what these centers can provide; it does not establish whether the girl in Taylor’s case received those services. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia says the Delaware County Children’s Advocacy Center is among the centers often used for forensic interviews and service planning for county residents referred to its CARE Clinic, but that information likewise does not confirm involvement in this case.
