Mar 3, 2016 2 min read

A North Franklin Township man pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to charges of traveling across state lines to have sex with a girl.

Joseph Sabot, 27, pleaded guilty to the felony before U.S. District Judge Maurice Cohill Jr. and faces up to 30 years in prison when he is sentenced on June 8.

According to information presented to the court, in 2010, when Sabot was 22, he met a 15-year-old girl from Wheeling, W.Va., through an online website. He met her in person shortly thereafter, and traveled to her home on numerous occasions between 2010 and 2012, where they had sex.

In July 2012, after bringing her back to his home for a sexual encounter, Sabot asked the girl to hide in the garage until his parents went to sleep. Sabot’s father, who did not know her, found her in the garage and demanded that she leave. The girl then called 911, as she did not have a way to get back to Wheeling.

After North Franklin police responded to her call, the joint investigation also involving the FBI was initiated because Sabot had traveled across state lines, leading to his indictment in 2014.

Sabot is already a Megan’s Law offender, after pleading guilty in Washington County Court in 2009 to to sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl on several occasions and having inappropriate contact with three young boys. Sabot was sentenced to 11 1/2 months in jail and placed on probation for 5 years for those crimes.

According to a counselor who testified in those cases, Sabot was a victim of sexual abuse before being removed from his home, placed into foster care and later adopted.

Sabot remains in federal custody, where he has been held since November.