Pittsburgh-area man sentenced to at least 9 years in prison for sexual assault
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — An Armstrong County man was sentenced to at least nine years in prison for sexually assaulting three young women.
In a news release on Thursday, the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office said 25-year-old Zachary Baum was sentenced to nine to 25 years behind bars in connection with the case.
"This defendant used social media as a means to prey on potential victims and commit sexual and other physical assaults," Attorney General Michelle Henry said in the release. "This conviction and significant prison sentence would not have been possible without the brave survivors who told their stories to a jury. My office is committed to protecting victims and holding violent predators accountable for their crimes."
In October 2023, the 25-year-old man was found guilty by a jury of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual abuse of children, corruption of minors, indecent assault, strangulation, stalking and simple assault.
He used social media to find and contact his victims, officials said, adding that he was "relentless, consistently messaging the girls until he convinced them to meet him."
The victims, three young women between the ages of 16 and 20, were sexually assaulted and strangled by Baum, officials said. He was accused of committing the crimes between 2020 and 2022.
Baum of Kittanning must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and undergo a sex offender evaluation.
Thursday's news release said the case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Kara Rice and Deputy Attorney General Daniel Gleixner.