{"id":312208,"date":"2026-10-22T21:28:08","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T21:28:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/312208\/"},"modified":"2026-10-22T21:28:08","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T21:28:08","slug":"duryea-man-deemed-sexually-violent-predator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/312208\/","title":{"rendered":"Duryea man deemed sexually violent predator"},"content":{"rendered":"

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WILKES-BARRE \u2014 A lifetime registrant as a convicted sex offender was promoted to a sexually violent predator prior to being sentenced for a second offense of possessing child sexual abuse materials on Thursday.<\/p>\n

Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Joseph F. Sklarosky made the designation upon Joseph Salvatore Dowd, 50, of Duryea, after the testimony of Paula Brust, a board member with the Pennsylvania Sexual Offender\u2019s Board, and Pennsylvania Department of Corrections parole agent Jeremiah Johnson.<\/p>\n

Johnson testified during a search of Dowd\u2019s residence while he was on parole in May 2023, an infant size sex doll was found, as well as several cellular phones. One of the phones was used to download<\/a> child sexual abuse images, which resulted in Dowd\u2019s appearance before Sklarosky on Thursday.<\/p>\n

Sklarosky sentenced Dowd to 25 to 50 years in state prison for possessing child sexual abuse materials, a charge Dowd did not contest<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Brust testified that she found Dowd met the criteria as a sexually violent predator due to an invasion of privacy conviction, when he hid a cellular phone in a child safety seat to secretly record women in the restroom of an Avoca restaurant where he formerly worked, and was convicted of possessing and sharing child sexual abuse images in 2017. Brust further noted Dowd\u2019s own statements to detectives claiming he could not stop and needs help.<\/p>\n

Assistant District Attorney Allyson L. Kacmarski noted Dowd\u2019s prior convictions reflects an internal drive to re-offend.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like to say I\u2019m sorry, I take full responsibility,\u201d Dowd said prior to being sentenced. \u201cI\u2019m not a violent offender, I have no history of violence. I do ask the court for mercy. I\u2019m 50 years old and I\u2019m asking for leniency so I can be with my family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sklarosky advised that possessing child sexual abuse materials is a violent act as children are involved. The judge noted that he was required under state law to advise Dowd that a third conviction for possessing child sexual abuse images is a sentence of life in prison.<\/p>\n

Dowd was also ordered by Sklarosky to serve three years probation when released from state prison.<\/p>\n

As a sexually violent predator, Dowd is subject to more stringent requirements to include to report to state police four times per year, and register his residence, vehicle and place of employment for life.<\/p>\n

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