North Strabane man pleads guilty to sexually abusing boys
McIntyre sentenced to serve 14 ½ to 30 years in a state prison
The North Strabane man who pleaded guilty last December to molesting six young boys over several years – only to later withdraw the plea after his sentence was much harsher than expected – pleaded guilty again Monday, putting an end to the drawn-out case.
Leo Adam Jonathan McIntyre III appeared before President Judge Valarie Costanzo at the Washington County Courthouse and pleaded guilty to various felony charges in connection with the six cases, and was sentenced to serve 14 ½ to 30 years in a state prison followed by 30 years on probation.
McIntyre, 31, was charged in late 2022 and accused of abusing several children, including some going back a decade. McIntyre was a swim instructor at Goldfish Swim School in Peters Township, but fired in June 2022 after the school’s leaders said he was not following the curriculum or complying with brand standards. Investigators previously said there was no evidence any of the students at the swim school were victims.
In June 2025, McIntyre agreed to plead guilty to 15 felony counts of child sex abuse in a negotiated open plea with the Washington County district attorney’s office in exchange for a sentence of 10 to 30 years in prison. But Washington County Court of Common Pleas Judge Traci McDonald rejected that agreement during his sentencing last December, and instead sentenced him to serve 32 to 64 years followed by 21 years of probation.
McIntyre asked to withdraw the plea, and was eventually allowed to do so, setting the stage for six separate trials in the abuse cases. Jury selection for one of McIntyre’s trials was scheduled to begin next week with the proceedings now overseen by Costanzo, but he instead opted to plead guilty Monday in a negotiated plea with prosecutors that added additional time to the original sentence he had agreed to at first.
Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh said his office spoke to the victims and their families, and they agreed to the plea deal. He added that the plea allows the victims to avoid enduring six separate trials.
“We’re happy that justice was done,” Walsh said. “It puts to rest all of the cases because they were severed and multiple trials would have had to happen.”
Several victim impact statements were read for the court during the sentencing hearing, but McIntyre did not give his own statement when offered the chance by Costanzo. His public defender, Patrick Fitch, declined to comment but confirmed details of the plea deal.
McIntyre pleaded guilty to six counts of indecent assault of a child under 13, five counts of corruption of minors, three counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child and one charge each of child endangerment and criminal solicitation for indecent assault of a child under 13.
McIntyre has been held without bond at the Washington County jail since his arrest in December 2022, and he will be given credit for time served. It was not immediately known where McIntyre will serve his state prison sentence.