Sixers dealing with lofty expectations for first time in six seasons

web1_download-3-.jpg

ODs dominate drug-abuse talk, but new report shows problem runs much deeper

Pringle man pleads guilty in child sex caseWILKES-BARRE &#8212; A Pringle man who was accused earlier this year of attempting to contact an underage boy for sex has pleaded guilty.Michael Laton, 33, entered a plea Monday to one felony count each of criminal attempt to commit involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and criminal use of a communication facility.A third charge, a misdemeanor count of unlawful contact with a minor, was withdrawn by prosecutors.Laton was arrested in May after police say he reached out to an individual he believed was a 14-year-old boy, soliciting sex. The boy was actually an undercover agent from the state Attorney General&#8217;s Office.Prosecutors say Laton made plans to meet with the boy, but he was intercepted by undercover agents when he arrived.Luzerne County Judge Michael T. Vough scheduled Laton&#8217;s sentencing for Jan. 18. He was remanded to the county lockup after his plea.Man admits assaulton pregnant girlfriendWILKES-BARRE &#8212; A Franklin County man pleaded guilty to charges he assaulted his pregnant girlfriend after she spoke with her ex.Kirshawn Bowe, 27, of Chambersburg, entered guilty pleas Monday on numerous misdemeanor counts, including simple assault, strangulation, disorderly conduct and endangering the welfare of children.Other charges against him were withdrawn.Bowe&#8217;s charges stem from an incident in early February, where police say he assaulted Tennisha Howard, 22, after she stopped to talk with an ex-boyfriend while they were walking through the Sherman Hills apartment complex.Bowe wasn&#8217;t arrested until March when police say he came to Howard&#8217;s Parkview Circle apartment to smash in a window.Luzerne County Judge David W. Lupas set Bowe&#8217;s sentencing for Nov. 15.Kingston Twp. man pleads to beating womanWILKES-BARRE &#8212; A man who begged police to arrest him after allegedly beating a woman has pleaded guilty to the charges against him.Martin Edward Moore, 30, of Kingston Township, entered guilty pleas Monday on one misdemeanor count each of strangulation and simple assault. A summary count of harassment was withdrawn.Moore was arrested at his home in early May.When police arrived, they found a woman with blood covering her face and Moore holding out his hands asking to be arrested.According to officers, Moore told them he &#8220;beat the (expletive) out of (his) girlfriend.&#8221;Luzerne County Judge David W. Lupas set Moore&#8217;s sentencing for Dec. 4. Records show he&#8217;s been out bail since shortly after his arrest.Wilkes-Barre man admits tofilming partially nude teenWILKES-BARRE &#8212; A Wilkes-Barre man pleaded guilty to two counts stemming from accusations that he took sexually suggestive photos of a teenage girl.Todd A. Williams, 31, entered pleas to a felony count of filming a child and a misdemeanor count of corruption of minors.Other charges, including indecent assault and furnishing a minor with alcohol, were dropped.Williams was arrested in February after the girl&#8217;s mother found pictures of her 15-year-old daughter wearing only a thong and lying on Williams&#8217; lap. The photos showed Williams with his hand on the girl&#8217;s rear end.The girl, who told her mother the photos were &#8220;exactly what it looks like,&#8221; also said Williams gave her alcohol on multiple occasions.Luzerne County Judge Joseph F. Sklarosky Jr. set Williams&#8217; sentencing date for Jan. 31. He&#8217;s been free on $10,000 unsecured bail since shortly after his arrest. &#8212; By Patrick Kernan<style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_Laton.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Laton </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_Laton.jpg</photo0><caption0>Laton </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>

Court Briefs