Detectives: Former West Abington supervisor inappropriately touched girls
A former West Abington Twp. supervisor who previously pleaded guilty to open lewdness for exposing himself to three girls faces new charges for alleged inappropriate contact with two sisters years apart.
David P. Button Sr., 57, 46 Orchard Road, faces two felony counts of indecent assault of a person under the age of 13 after a 12-year-old girl told investigators he touched her breasts. The girl’s now-adult sister subsequently told investigators that Button sexually touched her beginning when she was 12 or 13 until she was around 15, Lackawanna County Detective Michelle Mancuso wrote in charging documents.
The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual abuse.
Button previously pleaded guilty in November 2017 to two misdemeanor counts of open lewdness for exposing himself to girls ages 11, 12 and 13 at his Orchard Road home in 2015. He originally faced more serious charges after one of the girls accused him of inappropriate contact, but prosecutors dropped those counts in exchange for his guilty plea.
Lackawanna County Judge Margaret Bisignani Moyle sentenced Button to 30 days to 23½ months in the county jail in February of 2018. He won a fourth term as a West Abington Twp. supervisor months earlier, receiving five write-in votes in the November 2017 general election despite not filing to run.
The new charges filed Wednesday stem from alleged inappropriate conduct two sisters disclosed to investigators in recent months.
The younger sister, now 12, said a drunken Button put his hands under her shirt and touched her breasts two to three years ago. He also exposed himself to her and two of her friends while they were swimming in a pool, police said. Charging documents don’t note when that incident occurred.
The older sister told investigators Button first touched her sexually when she was 12 or 13. He approached her from behind, put his hands down her pants and grabbed her genitals, she disclosed.
That victim “recalled similar incidents occurring approximately 6 or 7 times throughout her childhood,” detectives wrote in an affidavit.
The older sister also told investigators that a drunk Button at one point exposed himself and asked her if she wanted to practice a sex act on him, charging documents note.
Button faces two felony counts of indecent assault of a person younger than 13 and two misdemeanor counts of indecent exposure. He’s also charged with misdemeanor child endangerment and felony corruption of minors.
The former supervisor remains in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $125,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 5.
