A Lower Heidelberg Township man will spend the rest of his life in prison for grooming and sexually assaulting two girls inside a shop he operated at the Berkshire Mall.
Steven P. Najarian, 54, of the first block of Knollwood Drive was convicted by a jury in October of two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of witness intimidation, involuntary deviant sexual intercourse, corruption of a minor and indecent assault.
He was sentenced Tuesday by Berks County Judge Patrick Barrett to life in prison without the possibility of parole plus seven to 20 years.
Najarian was charged in two cases, with the charges being filed just weeks apart.
He was first taken into custody on Dec. 17, 2024, and charged with rape, trafficking in individuals, witness intimidation, obstructing a child abuse investigation, corruption of minors and related counts.
He was charged in a second case in January 2025.
In both cases, police said, Najarian groomed juvenile girls and had sexual contact with them inside a store called The Morgue he operated at the mall.
Wyomissing police began investigating Najarian in November 2024. Both cases were led by Detective Joseph Klatt.
The victims told police Najarian would give them gifts, cash and free items from the store. That led to engaging in sexual acts.
One of the victims said Najarian used his smartphone to film their sexual encounters and told her that he wanted her to engage as part of a “threesome” with his adult male friend. Under pressure from Najarian, she recorded a video of herself showering and sent it to him.
That victim also told police that Najarian threatened he would hire someone to kill her if she told anyone about their relationship.