HOLLIDAYSBURG — A Hollidaysburg woman arrested two years ago after being accused of sexually abusing a female teenage relative has been sentenced to 10 to 20 years’ incarceration.
Wendy A. Dietz, 47, must also observe Megan’s Law sex offender registration rules for the rest of her life, based on the offenses to which she pleaded guilty Thursday in Blair County Court.
First Assistant District Attorney Nichole Smith said she was pleased with the negotiated sentence that resolves the criminal charges without a jury trial.
“This was a case with heinous behavior warranting substantial incarceration,” Smith said. “And I’m pleased because it saves the girl from having to talk about these heinous acts in front of the person who did them.”
The victim, now 18, was not in the courtroom to see Dietz render guilty pleas to three counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, 10 counts of photographing or filming a child sex act, one count of aggravated indecent assault, one count of incest, one count of disseminating photos or films of a child sex act, one count of child pornography possession, one count of disseminating sexual materials involving a minor and one count of corruption of minors.
“She’s healing,” Smith said of the victim.
Dietz, meanwhile, cried and wiped away tears as she rendered her pleas in front of President Judge Elizabeth A. Doyle.
When the judge asked Deitz if she admitted to committing each crime, Dietz repeatedly answered “yes ma’am,” sometimes with a voice faltering as she became emotional.
Hollidaysburg police charged Dietz in July 2020 after an investigation revealed that Dietz and the girl, who was 15 years old in the summer of 2019, were alleged to have engaged in sexual activities at Dietz’s apartment on Spring Street in Hollidaysburg.
Police, who learned of the allegations from Childline referral reports, followed up by interviewing the teenage girl who told police that she and Dietz “practiced” sex together by stripping naked and using sex toys.
Police said the victim also told them Dietz recorded videos of their activities and posted the videos online or made them available to Dietz’s out-of-state boyfriend.
Smith credited Hollidaysburg police for securing a search warrant of Dietz’s residence where officers found the sex toys the girl described and where they collected Dietz’s electronic devices including cell phones and computers.
Altoona Police Det. David Dey, who examined the devices at the request of investigating Hollidaysburg police officer Jeffrey Friday, found 81 nude images of the teenage victim, 257 adult pornographic images of bondage, six adult videos of bondage and other items of interest, the criminal charges reported.
Chief Public Defender Russ Montgomery, who represented Dietz in court, asked her to acknowledge the longer sentences she would face if she didn’t accept the negotiated plea.
Doyle also told Dietz that the Sexual Offenders Assessment Board will conduct an assessment and issue a report for use in deciding if she meets the definition of a sexually violent predator with the potential to reoffend. That’s to be completed in about 90 days, the judge said.
Dietz, who has been incarcerated since her July 2020 arrest, initially in the county prison and later at the state prison at Muncy, will be credited for the time she has already served.
The sentence Doyle handed down will require her to participate in treatment for sex offenders, no matter if she’s incarcerated or on probation.
When the judge advised Dietz that she is to have no contact with the victim, Dietz asked if that condition lasts forever.
Doyle replied that if the victim wants contact with Dietz while her sentence is in effect, then the victim should make that request to the court for review.
“You’re not permitted to reach out to her,” the judge told Dietz.
