On January 30, 2024, Latrobe-area family counselor Gregory Miscik, pled guilty to thirteen charges of various sex crimes committed against several of his teenage clients dating back to 2007 . He had been charged with multiple felony counts of sexual assault, promoting prostitution, human trafficking, corruption of minors, solicitation, and harassment . As part of his plea bargain, prosecutors dismissed a rape charge. Miscik was sentenced to 4 ½-9-years in prison, and he will serve an additional four years on probation upon his release. Additionally, he must register as a convicted sexual offender under Pennsylvania law.
As previously reported, on November 6, 2020, Miscik was charged following a into his practice. According to the criminal complaint, his victims included . Miscik encouraged one of the young girls to send naked photographs of herself and offered her money in exchange for the pictures. The second victim reported that Miscik sexually assaulted her. During the investigation, police officers noted that Miscik often received his patients through school district and family referrals. He then held therapy sessions with victims for years, gaining their trust before engaging in the criminal conduct.
Since his initial arrest, have come forth regarding Miscik’s criminal behavior. On February 10, 2021, another victim testified to police that on four different occasions she was offered money in exchange for naked photographs of herself, and sexually assaulted by Miscik while she was between the ages of 14 and 19. As a result of this victim’s allegations, Miscik’s charges expanded to include additional counts of . Additionally, Miscik faced a sex trafficking charge under 18 Pa.C.S. §3011(a)(1) and a promoting prostitution of a minor charge under 18 Pa.C.S. §5902(b)(3).
The CSE Institute applauds Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office for pursing charges against Miscik. However, we encourage prosecutors to take full advantage of Pennsylvania’s human trafficking statue and charge Miscik with trafficking in minors under 18 Pa.C.S. § 3011 (b). In relevant part, 3011(b) provides that a person commits the crime of trafficking in minors if the person “entices, solicits, . . . [or] obtains . . . an individual,” resulting in “any sex act . . . for which anything of value is directly or indirectly given, promised to or received by any individual . . . and is induced or obtained from . . . [a] minor.” Miscik’s alleged conduct constitutes the crime of 18 Pa.C.S. § 3011 (b) and he should be charged accordingly.
This case illustrates another individual in a trusted position of power leveraging that trust to exploit those who trust him. At the CSE Institute, we have observed lawyers, doctors, teachers, bosses, and landlords alike who have used their power, wealth, and status to manipulate, sexually assault, rape, and exploit others. Sadly, within the realm of commercial sexual exploitation, sexual predators thrive in environments where they can easily insert themselves into victims’ lives and develop a level of trustworthiness before sexually exploiting them.
The CSE Institute applauds Westmoreland County prosecutors and the Latrobe City Police Department for their efforts in securing these convictions. Law enforcement can limit instances of abuse by aggressively targeting perpetrators of commercial sexual exploitation and holding exploiters in trusted positions of power in communities accountable. We further commend the Westmoreland police and prosecutors for investigating all claims brought forth by survivors and charging Miscik with the various counts of sexual abuse and harassment. We encourage prosecutors take full advantage of the Pennsylvania human trafficking statute and charge Miscik with trafficking in minors. Most importantly, the CSE Institute applauds the bravery of the survivors in this case. After all, it is irrefutable that survivor voices will be the force of change and bring awareness to the reality of abuse in hopes of dismantling the system that breeds these imbalances of power. We continue to urge organizations to establish proper procedures for investigating and effectively handling reports of abuse in hopes of facilitating relief and justice for potential victims.
The CSE Institute will provide updates on this case once they become available.
All views expressed herein are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law or of Villanova University.