Freeland man sentenced for sexually assaulting girl, child pornography

Mar. 11—WILKES-BARRE — A Freeland man whose lawyer said he was physically, emotionally and sexually abused as a child was sentenced Thursday for sexually assaulting a girl for years and possessing child sexual abuse materials on a cellular phone.

John William Troell, 33, of Main Street, was sentenced by Luzerne County President Judge Michael T. Vough to five-to-12 years in state prison followed by three years probation on charges of aggravated indecent assault, possession of child pornography and criminal use of communication facility. He pled guilty to the charges Aug. 17.

State police at Hazleton charged Troell in April 2020 after his friend discovered pictures and videos of juveniles engaged in sex acts on Troell's cellular phone, according to court records.

The investigation of the sexual abuse materials on the cellular phone resulted in state police learning about a girl who was sexually assaulted for nearly five years by Troell.

The girl, who is not related to Troell, was questioned by a forensic interviewer at the Luzerne County Children's Advocacy Center. Details of the interview are listed in the criminal complaint.

During Troell's sentencing hearing, his attorney, Benjamin Stanton, said Troell was physically, emotionally and sexually abused as a child. After Troell was adopted when he was 5-years-old, Stanton said he continued to be abused by his adopted family and other adopted children.

"Children were eventually treated as slaves," Stanton said about Troell's adopted family.

Stanton said Troell was arrested when he was 16 for stealing a bicycle and was sentenced by then judge Mark Ciavarella during the juvenile justice scandal.

The attorney further said Troell dropped out of high school and is diagnosed with several mental illnesses, including depression and intermittent explosive disorder.

"He had an extremely traumatic background as a child," Stanton said in his attempt at a lesser sentence.

Deputy Assistant District Attorney Daniel Zola argued for a higher sentence, saying the victim was under 13 years old.

Zola read a letter the girl wrote, while the girl's great-grandmother asked for the harshest sentence possible, saying the child will "never forget what happened to her."

Troell is mandated to lifetime registration of his address, employment and vehicle ownership with authorities under the state's Sex Offender and Registration Notification Act.