Salford Township man sentenced to two decades in prison for child sexual abuse

NORRISTOWN – A Salford Township man faces at least two decades in prison for repeatedly sexually abusing an underage girl in his company at locations in Montgomery and Bucks counties.

Ross S. Colket, 53, of the 300 block of Clump Road, showed no emotion in Montgomery District Court as he was sentenced to 20 to 40 years in a state correctional facility. He was charged with attempted rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, aggravated indecent assault, sexual battery, enticement of a minor and endangering the welfare of a child in connection with incidents that occurred on multiple occasions with a girl under the age of 13.

A jury found Colket guilty of the charges at a trial in June. Colket knew the girl's family and the assaults occurred several times over the course of several years while she was in his company.

The attacks occurred in Salford Township in Montgomery County and in Richlandtown in Bucks County.

Judge Thomas P. Rogers, who presided over the trial, also sentenced Colket to five years of probation after his release from prison. This means Colket will be under court supervision for 45 years.

Colket must also provide his address to state police for life to comply with the Pennsylvania Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (formerly known as Megan's Law).

Assistant District Attorney Lauren Elizabeth Marvel argued for a long prison sentence against Colket.

“This is a defendant who had a position of trust with this little girl and he abused it,” Marvel said. “He used the access to her, the trust of her family, the trust in her to sexually abuse her for his sexual gratification. He had a duty to protect her and he failed her.”

“This defendant terrorized her by using her for his sexual gratification, and he truly took away her childhood. The impact of a crime like this really cannot be overstated, and this individual absolutely deserves to spend decades in prison for the damage he has caused,” Marvel added.

Colket, represented by defense attorney Andres Jalon, declined to comment on his conviction and sentence and expressed no remorse as sheriff's deputies escorted him from the courtroom where he was to begin his decades-long prison sentence.

Members of a Montgomery County chapter of Bikers Against Child Abuse attended the sentencing to show their support for the victim and her family.

In a victim impact statement to the judge, the girl said Colket had “ruined my life mentally, emotionally and physically”, adding that she felt “defenseless and vulnerable” during the attacks.

“You broke me in ways I can never explain. I had to talk about everything I went through in detail and I have lived through it all more times than I would have liked because of you. You are a sick, disgusting and twisted man who thinks he can get away with abuse,” the victim addressed Colket directly.

The victim's mother called Colket's crimes against her daughter “horrific,” and praised prosecutors, victim and trial assistants in the state attorney's office and state police for their support of her family and pursuit of justice.

“In the darkest of times, they gave my girl a voice. They gave my girl strength. They showed her how to cope with kindness, compassion and support even in uncomfortable situations. They were never fooled,” said the victim's mother.

The investigation began in September 2022 when the girl confessed to her mother that Colket had “touched her inappropriately,” according to a criminal complaint filed by State Trooper Zachary Dombroski.

State police in Skippack were notified and during a subsequent interview, the victim reported a series of incidents in which she was sexually abused by Colket. The abuse included inappropriate touching and other sexual contact, according to court documents.

During the meetings, Colket told the girl, “it’s our little secret” and that she shouldn’t tell anyone about it.

“She claims he told her this to keep it a secret and avoid getting into trouble,” Dombroski claimed.

According to court documents, the girl also confided to two friends that Colket had “touched her strangely” in his presence.

Prosecutors said that despite their efforts to silence the victim, Colket “courageously” testified before a jury of strangers. Colket herself did not testify during the trial.

The jury reached its verdict in less than an hour.

Originally published: September 6, 2024 at 12:52