PINE GROVE, SCHUYLKILL COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Pennsylvania State Police say a registered sex offender used Snapchat to track down a teenage girl, enter her home, and touch her while she was sleeping.
State police stated back on October 26, 2023, a 13-year-old girl and her parents arrived at the Schuylkill Haven police barracks to report a sexual assault that had taken place the night before in Pine Grove.
The victim told troopers she received a friend request on Snapchat two days prior from an unknown man with the username alex-taylor2022. She said the man asked her repeatedly if he could come to see her and meet her in person, according to court documents.
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Police say on October 25, the man entered her home after 11:00 p.m. and made his way to her bedroom where she was sleeping.
The girl told police the man laid down next to her causing her to wake her up. The suspect proceeded to touch her inappropriately around her body until she told him to get out, as stated in the affidavit.
On November 11, troopers say they applied for a search warrant for the man's Snapchat account and about a week later, received information that the account's IP address was out of York County.
Several months later in May of 2024, the victim contacted state police again and said that the man had sent her another friend request. Troopers say the victim referenced their previous encounter and the man blocked her.
In August of 2024, police applied for a new search warrant for the man's latest account. Troopers say the name associated with the new IP address came back to Yuri Alexand Romatowski, a 31-year-old man from Hanover, York County.
Yuri RomatowskiPennsylvania State Police
PSP says further investigation revealed Romatowski was an active Megan's Law offender.
Friday morning, state police set up an interview with Romatowski at York County Adult Probation where they say he admitted to sending sexually-charged messages to the girl, along with entering her home and touching her.
Romatowski has been charged with indecent assault, corruption of minors, burglary, loitering and prowling at night, harassment, and failing to provide accurate registration information.
