Jury finds Greensburg man guilty of child rape

A Westmoreland County jury on Thursday convicted a Greensburg man of the sexual assault of a young child.

James A. Swanson, 48, was found guilty of two felony offenses, rape and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, in connection with allegations of improper conduct with a 3-year-old boy in 2019 and 2020.

Throughout the three days of the trial, prosecutors presented what they conceded was a case that relied on circumstantial evidence of the sexual abuse allegations. That evidence included testimony and video recorded by the boy’s mother in which the child described and demonstrated what witnesses said was sexual abuse.

Swanson testified the allegations were false and concocted by the boy’s mother.

In his closing argument to the jury, defense attorney Marco Sylvania claimed the mother coached the child to make the disclosures.

“There’s no physical evidence. There’s no circumstantial evidence. There’s just no evidence,” Sylvania told jurors.

The jury deliberated more than four hours before returning the verdict, which also included a not guilty finding on one count of aggravated indecent assault.

Swanson, who since his arrest in 2021 had been free on $50,000 bail, was remanded to Westmoreland County Prison, where he will await a sentencing hearing in about three months.

Assistant District Attorney Adam Barr said that, according to state law, Swanson faces two mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years in prison as a result of the convictions.