WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. – An 81-year-old man who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a teen has learned his sentence.
Judge Douglas G. Reichley sentenced Dennis Kochenash Monday to serve 10 years and 9 months to 30 years in state prison as well as three years of consecutive probation, the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
The DA’s office said Kochenash will also be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Kochenash, of Bradford County, pleaded guilty in July to two counts of Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse – Person Less than 16 Years Old and a misdemeanor count of Indecent Assault of a Person Less than 16 Years Old, the DA’s office said.
The DA’s office said the assaults took place in both Bradford County and Lehigh counties.
He pleaded guilty to offenses that happened in both counties as per an agreement with the Bradford County District Attorney’s Office, according to the news release.
The DA’s office said Kochenash and the victim began communicating with each other through text messages and on Snapchat.
According to the DA’s office, the contact continued for several months, including online communications, in-person communications, and eventually the sexual assault against the child.
In December 2024, Kochenash sexually assaulted the teen on several occasions and provided the victim with marijuana, the DA’s office said.
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