News from around the Region

Erie Times-News
March 2, 2012

http://www.goerie.com/article/20120302/NEWS02/303029943/News-from-around-the-region

CORRY -- Police charged a Corry man with having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl.

Ryan D. Halfast, 25, of the 100 block of West Smith Street, was accused of having a sexual relationship with the girl at various locations in Corry from Nov. 20 until the relationship was reported to police on Dec. 20, Corry police said Thursday.

Halfast was taken into custody Thursday morning on a warrant issued Wednesday. He was arraigned before Corry District Judge Brenda Nichols on charges of statutory sexual assault, corruption of minors and indecent assault, and was released on $7,500 unsecured bond.

Erie Diocese priest sentenced to probation

SMETHPORT -- A Catholic Diocese of Erie priest has been sentenced to two years of probation for having an inappropriate relationship with a 15-year-old boy in McKean County.

The Rev. Samuel Slocum, 60, was sentenced Monday in McKean County Court, where he was convicted in January of concealment of the whereabouts of a child, the Bradford Era reported Tuesday.

Prosecutors accused Slocum of allowing the boy to visit his residence after the boy's mother had forbidden it, and of lying to the mother when she asked if her son had gone to his residence.

Slocum was not accused of having sexual contact with the boy.

Testimony in earlier proceeding indicated Slocum had given the teen two iPhones, an iPod and an Apple laptop computer on which they secretly communicated using the parish Wi-Fi connection.

Erie Bishop Donald W. Trautman has said the priest's felony conviction will keep him out of active ministry.

Slocum taught at Cathedral Preparatory School from 1985 to 1989 and served as a weekend assistant at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Erie.

Coroner seeks relatives of deceased Erie man

The Erie County Coroner's Office is looking for relatives of an Erie man who died Feb. 24.

Jerome Seay, 51, of the 200 block of West Second Street, died at Saint Vincent Health Center of natural causes, Coroner Lyell Cook said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Coroner's Office at 452-2911.

Fairview man injured in rollover crash

ELLERY, N.Y. -- A Fairview Township man was injured Thursday in a rollover crash on the Exit 10 off-ramp to Ellery from Interstate 86 in Chautauqua County.

Lee E. Woodard, 40, was driving a Pro Waste garbage truck east on the off-ramp at about noon when he failed to make a curve, according to the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office.

Police said the truck veered off the off-ramp's shoulder and struck several delineator markers.

Woodard then attempted to drive back onto the off-ramp and overcorrected, causing the vehicle to overturn, police said.

The truck rolled onto its side, closing the off-ramp for three hours, police said.

Woodard was taken to WCA Hospital in Jamestown, N.Y. Police said his injuries were not life-threatening.

Police investigate rollover crash in Conneaut Township

ALBION -- A man was injured in a one-vehicle rollover crash Thursday night on Route 6N, just west of Route 215, in Conneaut Township, state police said.

The crash happened at about 7 p.m.

The man was taken to UPMC Hamot, police said.

No other details were available Thursday night.