Ex-Delco pol pleads guilty to sex attack

“The defendant admitted responsibility for his conduct.”

Harry McDevitt Jr. had a thing for younger nurses, according to Delaware County authorities, particularly those who cared for his handicapped wife in their Norwood home. via Philly.com

[You kidding me]

4 months to serve in jail, then home monitoring...what a joke! This scumbag has taken advantage of many young women, he deserves more.

[okay dude]

people can just say anything they want anymore and get someone in trouble.... read up on your information and maybe you will know what's going on you douche bag

[You kidding me]

tell me where to read it, and I gladly will.

[Joseph Papaleo]

In response to the remarks of both parties here I have to encourage you both to resist the temptation to stoop to name calling. I understand that sensitive issues like these often play on our passions and as a result, we say things that maybe we should not say. I am no exception. I've done it myself. And until it was brought to my attention, I had no isea I was being baited into such behavior.

With that being said, i will say that i agree with "your kidding me" in-it-that sexual preditors should be shown very little mercy with regard to sentencing.

A poll was once conducted where women were asked one simple question. Rape or death? When asked that question, a staggering number of women replied thatthey would rather die than be raped. What that tells us is that when a women (or anyone for that matter) is violated in such a way, the damage to their psychology can sometimes be irrepairable. It is the worst kind of personal violation and by far the most psychologically damaging! And for that reason, people who cause this kind of pain deserve NO MERCY!

Moreover, I highly doubt that more than one women would act in collussion with one another in order to have conspired against Mr. Mcdevitt. What was their motive. Why?

When you look at the situation from this angle we see that it is highly unlikely that this was no invention of the plaintiff's imagination. And make no mistake about it, the scars that are left behind from something like this are very real.

Moreover, i can say that i know a handful of judges. Some share my politival views while others do not. But let me make it very clear that in each and every case, those judges would never condemn a man or women to any sentence without the burden of proof having been satisfied. If anything, I'd say that Mr. McDevitt's political connections may have afforded him more leniency than he deserved. Perhaps not. I do not know all the facts.

But what i do know is that a judge who is lenient regarding sex crimes is an insult to both law enforcement as well as the justice system. It is a slap in the face to victims who will live their whole lives with the scars that have been left behind. 4 months is shameful!

[Times have changed]

Well said!

[Joseph Papaleo]

Why, Thank You for the compliment!

[Tabby]

dude who ever does this kinda crap to women is a sick fricken pervert and needs to be pue in prison for life! what would they want to do go after some hoes!

[Joseph Papaleo]

Im sorry, "Hoes!" Did you say "hoes?"

[Times have changed]

From reading your posts, Mr. Papaleo, you seem like a respectful, intelligent man, unlike some others. I would like to thank you for sticking up for the women. The victims, present, past, and/if any future (which I hope Mr. McDevitt learned his lesson and there aren't any)should be shown respect and not referred to as "hoes", as the previous post stated. Whether his post was referring to the victims as hoes was unclear to me, but regardless these women did not ask for what happened to them and deserve respect and applause for coming forward. They were belittled enough from the actions of McDevitt and they don't need some stranger degrading them also. Thank you again, Mr. Papaleo.

[withheld]

Your right "okay dude" people can just say anything they want anymore and get someone in trouble. Also, newspapers do not always get the facts straight.

[Times have changed]

withheld wrote:

Your right "okay dude" people can just say anything they want anymore and get someone in trouble. Also, newspapers do not always get the facts straight.

Sorry hun........my source isn't the newspaper

[rude]

Okay dude is rude. Name calling is immature-grow up. I sure hope your parents didn't raise you that way.

[withheld]

Please dont call me hun - its sexually degrading

- my source isnt the newspaper either.

[Anonymous]

I have to agree with okay dude. You people really need to get your facts straight before you make an assumption.

You all think that he was sexually degrading these women and deserves more time in the clink. From one who knows, Mr. McDevitt doesn't own a silver handgun, nor was there one on his person/residence the next day after the alleged "assault". There was no sexually DNA proof of this on her or him.

I know that Mr. McDevitt is a very nice man and that he would never do anything of this sort. He has children and grandchildren (whom he chillz with) and wouldn't throw away that life for jail.

Whatever happened to "innocent until proven guilty"? Those 2 bar junky "nurses" happen to know each other and it is believed that they collaborated against Mr. McDevitt's family for unknown reasons. By the way, they weren't even nurses; they were paid hired help.

The second lady wanted the McDevitts to hire her teen daughter after her so-called incident; what idiot would send their teenage child to help them if he was that kind of guy?

After hearing my TRUE information, do you really think he is guilty? The newspaper didn't subject to informing the public on these truths; they said he was guilty before the trial! If you think I'm lying, go read the transcripts in the courthouse.

And why should he get more time behind bars? He would if he was found guilty after pleading not-guilty. But he plead guilty so he could get the lesser of the punishments so he could return to his life sooner. As a matter of fact, he has a 14-year old grandson who he watches movies with and whom is waiting for his return.

Plus, what's more punishing then having to stay in your house for a few years? He can't even go buy milk at the store; his older children have to!

From now on, all of you (except for okay dude and withheld), you must know the whole story before you go on the internet and post a comment insulting someone/something. I know the story and I'm correcting the wrongs of blogging on him!

Peace, fellaz (and lady fellaz)!

[Times have changed]

And I know first hand cause he sexually harrassed me!! He is scum and deserves ever last minute away from the general public. I hope he had the best Father's Day ever in the pokey!! He deserved it!

[Joseph Papaleo]

"Ex-Delco pol pleads guilty to sex attack."
Lets not omit the fact that Mr. McDevitt plead guilty. If you are innocent, why plead guilty?
I admit that i don't know all the facts. The fact is that the only people who know what really happened are Mr. McDevitt and the alleged victims. Some may take to his defense, but I will not. I for one beleive the victims. I beleive the guy is guilty. Some may disagree, but its pretty obvious that the few people who profess his innocence are hardly impartial. Its pretty clear that those who are attempting to uphold his innocence are probably friends or family memebers. I am sorry if I have offended anyone but I stand by my gut instincts. They are ussually pretty on point!

[The Law]

You people are a disgrace. The local paper had Mr. McDevitt guilty the first day this became public and everyone believed it. A guy from California is going to tell me that his gut instinct is "on point"? Please. He pled guilty because the "court of public opinion" would have punished him for years. Get your facts straight before you chime in with your ignorant opinions.

[Joseph Papaleo]

dear law,

I am no more from california than you are from Swathmore! In fact I live in folcroft, which is the next town over from Norwood. in fact most of my closest friends are from Norwood!

furthermore, JUDGES DO NOT SUCUMB TO THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION! They serve ia a "Court of Law!"

Moreover, a person who knows in their heart that they are innocent fights! One who knows he is guilty, makes a deal called a "plea bargain" at the advice of his legal counsel. Note that they call it a "bargain" And if you ask me, Mr. Mcdevitt got quite a bargain!

Finally, I would like to add that i know more Judges than you have had Hot meals. Judges take sex violation cases very seriously! They are never to quick to give either a defendant or a plaintiff any unfair advantage during the course of court proceedings! As i have said before, I know many judges. Some share my political views some do not. There are some that I like and those whom I loathe, but in every case these men and women do not tip the scales of justice one way or the other. They are fair when it comes to such matters and let the "facts" speak for themselves!

Fairness is just a facet of any given judicial personality and subsequently it is for that reason that such people find themselves called to serve in the capacity of legal adjudication!

I understand that you must be feeling an assortment of emotions considering that this was your friend or family memeber! It is understandable that you would want to defend your loved one. But you must understand that the court's judgement against Mr. Mcdevitt is not a judgement against you or any other one of Mr. mcDevitt's loved ones.

I've seen this before in a case that happened in folcroft. I cannot go into details such as names or places but I can share some of the following insights for you.

Sometimes when a person is found guilty of a crime, those close to them feel a sense of embarassment. Sometimes it is easier to ignor evidence and profess their innocence than it is to accept that they are guilty. For some people admitting that their loved one is guilty would mean that they would have to ask many questions of themselves that would rather avoid... Questions like, "Am I a bad judge of Character? Am I partially responsable for this? Will people think that i am like the person who has been convicted?" The answer to all of these questions is NO, NO, NO! So try not to take this so personally.

You are not a bad jusge of character. Such perpetrators a gifted with a devious talent that allows them to decieve others quite effectively.

NO, you are not responsable for any of this.

No, I do not think you are marked by a propensity for the same kind of behavior.

With that all being said, I apologize if my opinion offends you. But I am standing by it nonetheless!

[Skeller85]

....and the court of public opinion will now leave him alone because he pled guilty????? Yeah, that's logical. Innocent until proven guilty, unless, of course, you confess. How is there another side to this story???

[Times have changed]

Let it go now, what's done is done. He did what he did and the victims deserve time to heal as well as the McDevitt family.