East Washington council candidate charged with sexual assault of juvenile
A candidate for East Washington Borough Council was charged Friday in connection with the sexual assault of a juvenile.
Anthony Joseph Dinch, 28, of East Washington, faces felony charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with someone under 16 years of age, unlawful contact with a minor, endangering welfare of children and corruption of minors.
According to the criminal complaint, the 15-year-old reported multiple assaults to East Washington police in July. He told officers that he had spent the night at Dinch’s East Wheeling Street apartment at least 25 times “over the course of several years,” the complaint states.
Dinch is accused in court documents of supplying the boy with alcohol and walking around shirtless.
“John Doe stated he and Dinch would frequently sleep in the same bed,” borough police wrote in the complaint.
According to the court filing, Dinch sexually assaulted the teen last November and again in May. Two witnesses who spoke with police said Dinch had discussed with them giving alcohol to the youth and “having feelings for him,” according to the complaint.
Court records list Washington attorney Joshua Larkin as Dinch’s lawyer. Larkin did not return a phone call seeking comment by Monday’s deadline.
Dinch lost the mayoral election during the May primary, but won enough write-in votes to appear as Republican on the Nov. 7 ballot for both a four-year and two-year term on borough council. He is running unopposed in the race for the two-year term. Aug. 14 was the final day for candidates to withdraw from the race.
Sean Logue, chair of the Washington County Republican Party, said given the nature of the charges, the party “will have no further contact or involvement with Mr. Dinch.” He added the party will not support his candidacy for East Washington council.
“He has not spoken to us about that, and we will not be assisting him in any way,” Logue said.
Dinch is listed as chairman of the Washington County Republican Party’s Young Republicans committee on an agenda for an all-committee meeting the party held Jan. 25. Logue said Dinch is an elected precinct committee person and has a vote at these meetings.
According to Logue, Dinch intended to start the Young Republicans committee but it only ever amounted to a Facebook page that has not been updated since Aug. 10.
Logue claims Dinch’s committee was never financially supported by the party.
“They never did anything. They had no members. They had no budget. Anthony was holding himself out as someone who was going to lead the young Republican group,” Logue said. “There was literally nothing.”
Logue added that party leadership has had “unofficial conversations” about how to handle the situation.
“The Republican Party will take appropriate action very soon regarding Mr. Dinch,” Logue said.
County Controller April Sloane, a Republican, said Dinch is an active member of the local party and was at a party meeting Thursday, the day before police filed charges.
“On Friday when we found out, as the current elected officials, we were all shocked and horrified by the charges. We had no inkling,” Sloane said.
Dinch also faces misdemeanor charges of indecent assault and furnishing liquor to a minor. He was arraigned Friday afternoon before District Judge Michael Manfredi, who released him on $250,000 unsecured bond.
He is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing at 2 p.m. Oct. 11.