BEDFORD, PA – Pennsylvania State Police say a Bedford County man is back in jail after a months-long investigation into allegations that he repeatedly abused an underage girl at a home in Everett Borough.
Investigators accuse 63-year-old Mark Greenawalt of multiple acts of molestation involving the juvenile victim, along with showing her images that police believe depicted child pornography. The case also led to charges against the resident of the home, 68-year-old Sara Grimm, whom police say knew about Greenawalt’s past and still allowed him to be alone with the girl.
Court records show Greenawalt is being held at the Bedford County Jail on a dozen charges. Grimm is also jailed while the case moves through the court system.
Investigators say the allegations grew through repeated interviews and forensic exams
According to the criminal affidavit, the girl’s account developed over multiple forensic interviews with police. Investigators say she described several separate incidents of sexual assault, not a single encounter.
Police say one of the episodes involved Greenawalt forcing her to take provocative photos of herself using his phone. In another, he allegedly showed her videos that investigators believe contained child sexual abuse material, including clips police say appeared to involve children as young as 3.
The affidavit says the girl also told investigators that Greenawalt threatened her if she spoke about what had happened. Those statements, police say, were part of the evidence used to build the criminal case.
Police say Greenawalt first denied wrongdoing before admitting contact with the girl
Investigators say Greenawalt initially rejected the allegations and tried to minimize what happened. Police say he claimed he had accidentally touched the girl inappropriately once while she was showing him something on an iPad.
After more questioning, investigators say Greenawalt acknowledged being alone with the girl on several occasions. Police say he later admitted to sexual misconduct, though they also say he tried to shift blame to the victim.
According to investigators, Greenawalt said the girl “wanted him to touch her.” Police included that statement as part of the affidavit describing what they say happened during the interview process.
Charges in court include felony indecent assault and unlawful contact with a minor
Online court records show Greenawalt is facing 12 charges, led by felony indecent assault and unlawful contact with a minor. He is currently housed at the Bedford County Jail, where bail was denied to ensure compliance.
Police say his criminal history is also significant. Records identify him as a lifetime registered sex offender after a 2014 aggravated indecent assault conviction.
That background became part of the broader investigation because it allegedly informed what others in the home knew about him. Investigators say Greenawalt’s prior status was not hidden from the adults connected to the residence.
Home resident Sara Grimm also faces child endangerment charges
Police say the case widened beyond Greenawalt after they learned that Grimm, the primary resident of the home, was allegedly aware of his prior sex offense history. Investigators say she still allowed him to be alone with the child victim.
Court dockets show Grimm is now jailed on multiple counts of child endangerment. Her bail is set at half a million dollars.
Authorities have not said in the court documents why Greenawalt was staying in the home or what relationship, if any, he had with Grimm beyond being the resident she lived with. The child endangerment charges focus on the decision to leave the victim in his presence despite the known history.
Case adds to concerns about access to children after prior sex offense conviction
The allegations in this case center on repeated contact with a minor, not a single reported incident. Police say the victim described being abused over time and said she was threatened to keep quiet.
Greenawalt’s lifetime sex offender status and prior conviction made the allegations more serious in investigators’ view because it placed him in a category of offenders already judged by the justice system to pose a continuing risk. Grimm’s charges, meanwhile, reflect the question of supervision and responsibility inside the home.
Both defendants remain jailed as the case proceeds. Court records will determine how the accusations are handled next, including whether additional filings or hearings are scheduled.
