Doylestown Township man's arrest on child-sex charges leads to three additional arrests

The arrest of a Doylestown Township man who allegedly arranged a sexual encounter with a 12-year-old boy has led authorities to a string of other men suspected of sexually abusing the same Montgomery County boy.

Nicholas Benotto, 24, was charged this month 9 with six felonies including criminal attempted statutory sexual assault and child pornography and misdemeanor drug offenses. He is being held on bail.

The charges stem from an Upper Gwynedd police investigation started last September after a 12-year-old boy was reported missing from his home.

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When police reviewed the boy’s iPad, which was connected to his cellphone, they found sexually explicit instant messages to and from Benotto and plans to meet at the time the boy was reported missing, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Benotto allegedly picked up the boy in a parking lot and took him to New Jersey where he purchased drugs, the affidavit said.

A family member later contacted Benotto to let him know police were looking for the boy.

Benotto drove to a Montgomery County restaurant where he met with police and reportedly told them he had met the boy a day earlier on a dating app. The boy claimed to be 18, the suspect reportedly told police, and the two exchanged explicit photos and messages before arranging to meet.

Benotto repeatedly claimed he did not know the boy’s age and said he asked the boy to verify his age, but the boy said he could not. Police said that the boy told a similar story and he consented to let police search his phone which confirmed the communications with Benotto, the affidavit said.

Police said a search of the boy’s phone uncovered other explicit messages and photos exchanged between him and three other men.

A subsequent investigation resulted in multiple felony charges including child rape being filed against Brock Tharp, 31, of Bally, Pennsylvania, and Joseph Slover, 24, of Lansdale, and Tristan Anderson, 21, of Phoenixville.

Authorities allege the boy engaged in sex with Slover the day before he met and engaged in sex with Tharp last year. Anderson is accused of sexually abusing the boy in March.

Slover repeatedly referred to him as “kid” during the encounter, according to a probable cause affidavit. On Monday the online news site, NorthPennNow.com reported that Slover is a former North Penn High School football player.

North Penn Now also reported that police say the investigation is continuing as additional communications were found on the boy's phone and investigators are tracking down those men. At least one more arrest is expected, police said.

Tharp and Slover waived their right to a preliminary hearing and they are awaiting formal arraignment in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court.

Slover is free after posting $300,000 bail and Tharp and Anderson are held in Montgomery County on $200,000 bail each.

Reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at jciavaglia@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bucks County man's arrest led to a child sex investigation.