Sex cases bound over against Sheffield man after preliminary hearing | News, Sports, Jobs

A Sheffield man was bound over on multiple child sexual assault dockets in the wake of a Wednesday preliminary hearing.

Lorn Champlin, 63, faces a litany of charges at four total dockets, three of which are sexual in nature.

Three of the victims — one just 4-years-old — testified during Wednesday’s preliminary hearing. The two youngest victims testified by video from a different room where they would be unable to see the defendant.

Two counts of rape of a child were added in relation to the youngest defendant in light of testimony provided during the hearing.

All three victims in age-appropriate ways testified to the alleged conduct Champlin perpetrated against them. The burden of proof at a preliminary hearing is a prima facia case — that it’s likely that a crime was committed and that a defendant likely committed those crimes.

District Judge Raymond Zydonik said that burden was met in each of the sexual assault cases and bound the cases over to the Court of Common Pleas.

The fourth case, also bound over by Zydonik, includes 17 charges of prohibited possession of a firearm. Those charges stem from the day that Champlin was arrested on some of the sexual assault charges.

Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Jeff Dahl testified that several troopers went to a US Route 6 residence at 6:20 a.m. April 19 to serve an arrest warrant on Champlin.

Dahl testified that Champlin came out of the house and was taken into custody but asked troopers to go in the house and get his phone, glasses and shoes. The trooper that went in informed Dahl that firearms were observed in the residence.

He testified that a 2004 possession with intent to deliver convictions makes Champlin a person who can’t possess firearms. A search warrant was obtained and a total 17 firearms were discovered along with approximately 2,500 rounds of ammunition. Several were located in a locked box that was opened by the Jaws of Life.

Champlin faces four counts of rape of a child, three counts of indecent assault, three counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, seven counts of aggravated indecent assault, four counts of corruption of minors, two counts of unlawful contact with a minor and 17 counts of possession of firearm prohibited.

Champlin remains in the county jail on bail amounts ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 on each docket.