Pocono News Section

Columbia County Man Molested Toddlers

Columbia County Man Molested Toddlers - Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:34PM EST

BLOOMSBURG, COLUMBIA COUNTY -- While every sexual abuse case involving children is disturbing, the lead prosecutor in the case against Michael McCachren, Jr. says the victims are the youngest he's ever seen.
McCachren was sentenced to a minimum of seven years in prison for sexually assaulting four little boys. They were between the ages of just one and three years old when the incidents took place.

Assistant District Attorney Tony McDonald says the assaults happened over a 10-month period at an East Fifth Street apartment in Berwick. McCachren initially denied abusing the boys, but in September, he pled guilty to aggravated indecent assault of children. He was arrested in January 2008, about six months after the little boys came forward when they and their mothers were staying in a women's shelter in Columbia County.

"The children were being interviewed by a therapist there when one of the children said the defendant abused them in such a fashion," said McDonald. "The police investigated, and the story came out."

McCachren was in court Friday, but his attorney read a statement for him, saying, "What I did was so badly wrong and there's no forgiveness for what I've done... I wish I could take back what I did."

The court found 27-year-old McCachren to be a sexually violent predator, which means when he's released, he'll have to register under Megan's Law. He was sentenced to a minimum of seven years in prison and gets credit for about 14 months he's already served.