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Ice Cream Truck Driver Accused Of Sexual Assault

REDSTONE TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- A 27-year-old Fayette County man, who works delivering ice cream, is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a minor.

Ronald Burwell III, 27, of Smithfield, is accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl who was working in his truck.

The child and her mother came to the Uniontown Police Station to tell their story.

According to the affidavit, the 27-year-old man allegedly befriended the girl along his route and drove her to the Royal Lake area of Redstone Township last month where the alleged sexual assault took place.

Police found an empty condom box in the truck.

Burwell is also known to have a long record, including child endangerment charges.

Police say the girl had been helping Burwell on the truck, which is operated by the F&S Company out of Lemont Furnace.

Company owner George Swaney, who runs the ice cream delivery service out of his home on Curry Hill, was reluctant to talk.

George Swaney: "I have no comment."

KDKA's Mary Robb Jackson: "Did you not check into this guy's background?"

George Swaney: "What's that?"

Jackson: "Did you not check into this guy's background?"

George Swaney: "How you check into his background? No comment."

But Swaney's son, Frank, says about the girl, "She would call him 'dad' around the yard when we were loading up trucks and things. There's something bloodcurdlingly creepy going on there."

Swaney says Burwell presented the girl as a family member, and only worked for them for three weeks.

"We came back with an issue with his driver's license and let him go at that point, and that was about a week and a half ago," said Frank Swaney.

Fayette County District Attorney Jack Henek says that he is "deeply troubled by this case."

He also applauds county, state, and local police for their efforts in making the arrest.

Burwell faces a preliminary hearing within the next couple of weeks on charges of statutory sex assault, indecent sexual assault and corruption of a minor.

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