Man charged in child sex assault

By JUSTIN VELLUCCI
TribLive

A McKeesport man is scheduled to appear in court next week on charges in connection with the rape of a 7-year-old boy.

Allegheny County Police charged McKurtis Harper, 27, last month with seven counts — including rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and unlawful contact with a minor.

He was arrested Aug. 28 and taken to the Allegheny County Jail, court records show. A judge denied bail.

Harper’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 28 in front of district judge Joseph Pero, court records show.

On July 28, Snapchat alerted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that user kurtis_harper had uploaded “one file of suspected child sexual abuse material,” according to a criminal complaint.

In the video, a man later identified as Harper “may be sexually abusing a child,” the complaint said. The sexual assault took place July 24, court records show.

Police said they obtained a search warrant for the Snapchat account days later and linked it to Harper.

Officers later searched Harper’s blue Motorola cellphone, the complaint said. In an app’s subfolder titled “Trash,” police found the 3-second-long video of Harper and the boy.

A tattoo on Harper’s left hand, which police recognized from past interactions with the suspect, was visible in the video, the complaint said.

Police said the child identified both himself and Harper in the video.

Harper also is set to appear in court in October on separate case of sexual assault and possession of child sexual abuse material, court records show.