David John Croyle, Kittanning councilman and former pastor, convicted of sexual assault of boy

A Kittanning businessman, councilman and former church pastor was found guilty Friday of sexually assaulting a boy about four years ago.

David John Croyle, 61, was found guilty of statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor and related charges.

Armstrong County District Attorney Katie Charlton said the jury deliberated for four hours until about 7 p.m. Thursday. They resumed deliberations at 9 a.m. Friday. The jury came back after a half-hour with a guilty verdict.

Croyle faces at least a four-year sentence for one of the charges, Charlton said.

Defense attorney Duke George said Croyle testified. At the time of the assault, Croyle was editor and publisher of the Kittanning Paper, the Kittanning Council vice president and senior pastor at the Family-Life Church in Kittanning. Croyle continues to be a borough councilman.

Charlton put the victim on the witness stand. The victim was 14 at the time of the assault.

She also called numerous expert witnesses, including a domestic violence and victim expert who testified about victims’ often delayed responses about their assaults.

Two local state troopers who investigated the case testified, as did a state police computer forensic expert and an attorney general special agent who investigates child predators.

That special agent testified about how social networking and dating apps, such as Grindr, have been used in sexual assault cases.

County Judge Chase G. McClister revoked Croyle’s bond and sent him to the county jail pending sentencing March 26.

Last year, Mark Alan Feeney, 55, was convicted for molesting in 2016 the same boy in the Croyle case. In December, Feeney was sentenced by another judge to four to eight years for the same four charges.

Feeney, a former Applewold Borough council president and fire department chief, is appealing the case.

Editor’s note: This story originally said Croyle is a former Kittanning councilman. He remains on council.