Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on May 8 that Justin L. Pavetto, a Butler County resident and teacher at New Horizon School, has been charged with multiple felonies related to unlawful contact with a child, including attempted rape.
Pavetto was arrested over the past weekend and arraigned on nine felony charges. The charges include unlawful contact with a minor, criminal attempt (rape), and criminal solicitation (rape). Bail for Pavetto has been set at $500,000. The allegations are not connected to his employment at the public special needs school.
Investigators from the Office of Attorney General’s Child Predator Section and the Federal Bureau of Investigation said Pavetto contacted an individual online whom he believed was the father of an 11-year-old boy. In several conversations with this person—who was actually an undercover agent—Pavetto discussed plans to assault the “child.” Authorities report that Pavetto arranged to meet both individuals at a McDonald’s location and drove there as planned.
The Office of Attorney General encourages anyone who may have information about Pavetto relevant to law enforcement investigations to contact Special Agent Steven Adametz at 800-385-1044.
“This is very disturbing criminal conduct by someone trusted to help young people — not abuse them,” Attorney General Sunday said. “I commend our agents and partners at the FBI for timely actions that removed this defendant from the school and community.”
The case will be prosecuted by the Office of Attorney General’s Child Predator Section. Officials remind that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
