GREENSBURG, Westmoreland County — A Greensburg woman has been arrested on multiple charges after police say she permitted adult men to have sexual contact with her 7-year-old daughter in exchange for money.
According to court documents and the Greensburg Police Department, Rebecca Shandle has been charged with Trafficking in Minors, Criminal Conspiracy, Aggravated Indecent Assault of a Child, Sexual Exploitation of Children, Corruption of Minors, and Endangering the Welfare of Children.
Another suspect in the case, Brian Spiller, has been arrested and charged with Aggravated Indecent Assault of a Child, Patronizing a Victim of Sexual Servitude, and Corruption of Minors, according to Greensburg police.
According to the arrest affidavit, police were contacted on June 21 from a person alleging the sexual abuse of a minor. The source told police the victim, a 7-year-old girl, had been making sexual remarks, and said the victim told the source she had observed men accompanying her mother into her mother’s bedroom and then paying her money when they left.
The victim also told the source that one of the men, a neighbor who lived behind her residence, had touched her in her private area under her clothes.
After identifying Shandle as the victim’s mother, police went to Shandle’s apartment for an interview. Police say Shandle admitted she was having sex with men in her apartment in exchange for cash, and was aware of her daughter’s allegation that she had been sexually abused. Shandle told police the incident had occurred years ago.
In a subsequent interview with the victim on July 10, the victim told a child psychologist that she had been touched more than once by a neighbor who called himself “Ryan,” though that was not his real name. She said “Ryan” moved away and that she hadn’t seen him in a while.
Police returned to Shandle’s apartment with a search warrant on July 12. They found a mobile phone with text messages between Shandle and other persons arranging sexual encounters in exchange for money. During an interview at the police station — after being advised of her Miranda rights — Shandle admitted to police that “Ryan,” whom she identified as Spiller, had paid her $60 to be allowed to have sexual contact with the victim. Shandle admitted that she consented, saying she did not tell Spiller no or later attempt to contact police because she was afraid of Spiller.
According to police, Shandle later admitted that she allowed another man, whom she identified as “Greg,” to have sexual contact with the victim and sniff her underwear in exchange for $60.
Shandle was then arrested.
Police are still searching for Spiller. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact Greensburg police at (724) 834-3800.
