HARRISBURG, Pa. — Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo on Friday announced his office is withdrawing criminal charges against a Harrisburg-area religious leader previously accused of failing to report suspected child abuse.
Rhett R. Hintze, 50, was accused of failing in his role as a mandated reporter when he did not report the alleged physical abuse of a 12-year-old boy in the year 2000.
Shawn Cory Gooden was not charged with the assault until 2023, according to State Police. During their investigation, they discovered Gooden and the victim had told Hintze, a mandated reporter at the time due to his position as Harrisburg Stake President for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, about the incident.
After speaking to the parties involved, Chardo said, his office determined that prosecuting Hintze was not in the public interest.
"Law enforcement authorities consulted with the family of the victims," Chardo said in a press release. "The victims are now adults. The victims and the victims' families requested the withdrawal of the charges.
"In addition to consideration of the victims' request, the District Attorney examined the circumstances of the defendant. Rhett Hintze has no criminal history. The District Attorney's Office is now communicating with officials from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to set up trainings regarding sexual abuse and reporting options and to ensure that information about reporting options is prominently displayed throughout the Stake."
James Clancy, an attorney with McNees Wallace & Nurick who represented Hintze in the case, issued the following statement in response to the news:
“It is clear from the facts of the case that the charges against Mr. Hintze were not warranted. Mr. Hintze has always been vigilant about the protection of children from abuse of any kind.
“When Mr. Hintze received the report of past abuse, the victim at the time of the report was an adult. This now-adult victim asked him to keep the matter confidential. Mr. Hintze immediately consulted with legal counsel. Under the circumstances, a report to law enforcement was not required. As such, and honoring the adult victim’s request, no report was made.
“With Mr. Hintze’s guidance, the victim ultimately decided to report the abuse to law enforcement authorities. As a result, the perpetrator of the victim’s abuse has been convicted in one jurisdiction and is being prosecuted in another.
“We applaud District Attorney Chardo for his shared commitment to vigorously protect children from abuse, and we appreciate the careful consideration he gave to this matter.”
