Plea deal drops 9 felony counts against O’Hara skills coach accused of sexually assaulting teen student

A former standout high school and college basketball player who was accused of sexually assaulting a teenage student at a skills school he operated in Ford City has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor indecent assault after prosecutors agreed to drop nine felony counts.

Last October, South Buffalo police charged Mark Anthony Shehady, 24, of the 500 block of Dorseyville Road in O’Hara with three counts each of sexual assault by a sports official, unlawful contact with a minor, two counts of child pornography, and a count of corruption of a minor. Are all felonies.

Police also charged Shehady with a misdemeanor count of indecent assault — the charge to which he pleaded guilty Wednesday, July 2, according to court records.

Armstrong County District Attorney Katie Charlton said the teenage victim and their family supported the plea agreement to avoid the potential trauma that could be caused by going to trial.

“I don’t think many people appreciate how difficult it can be for a victim, especially a child, to testify in court about things that in many cases are very intimate,” she said. “It can be a very traumatic experience.”

Charlton said a judge will decide Shehady’s sentence, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail. A guilty verdict on the felonies Shehady faced would have carried a sentence of five to seven years each.

Charlton said the plea agreement also will require that Shehady register with the state’s Megan’s Law database of sexual offenders for 25 years.

Police began investigating Shehady after receiving a state ChildLine report Oct. 19 in which he was accused of abusing a 16-year-old, according to a criminal complaint in support of the charges.

Shehady Basketball Training, which rented gym space in several states, including in South Buffalo, was opened in 2020, according to police, who cited information posted on the training center’s website.

Shehady’s school ran basketball camps and clinics and offered private and group sessions, along with conducting skills programs for high schools and athletic associations in 22 states.

During a forensic interview conducted by investigators, the teen said they and Shehady first expressed “feelings for each other” during a trip in late July to an out-of-state tournament, the complaint said.

Shehady had sexual contact with the teen on at least three occasions, police said. The assaults occurred in Shehady’s pickup parked along a road in South Buffalo, according to his arrest papers.

At Shehady’s request, the teen also sent him nude photos, and he sent the teen photos of himself wearing only underwear, the complaint said.

Following his arrest, Shehady was released from custody in the Armstrong County Jail after a bail agency posted a $100,000 bond on his behalf, court records show.

After a successful high school and college basketball career, Shehady decided to open the skills school to “share his knowledge and passion for the game,” according to his website.

Shehady was part of the 2017 Hampton High School basketball team that made the WPIAL finals, advancing to a runner-up finish and a state tournament berth.

While attending Point Park University in 2020 on an athletic scholarship, Shehady was one three players chosen by the Pioneers basketball coach to represent Team USA at a basketball World Cup tournament in Lanzhou, China.