After five years, Carbon man pleads to corruption, assault counts

Sometimes criminal cases take a long time going through the system before a resolution is reached, either a guilty plea, a trial or charges dropped.

Monday in Carbon County court a case that dates back over five years ago, and has had 32 continues granted by the court, apparently reached a conclusion with the defendant entering a guilty plea.

Jay Alexander Nenscel, 53, of Lehighton, appeared before Judge Joseph J. Matika to enter guilty pleas to counts of corruption of a minor and indecent assault.

Nenscel was charged March 3, 2014, by Summit Hill police with having sexual contact with a then 15-year-old male at a residence in the borough. The police report indicated that Nenscel showed the male pornographic videos in one incident and gave him alcohol in other incident. He then performed a sex act on the male.

The case record shows the continuances began in 2014 with, at one time a bench warrant issued for the defendant, then various motions were filed by his public defender, attorney Paul J. Levy. The records show some of the motions included one for suppression of evidence, requesting additional information from the commonwealth and at one time a motion by Levy to withdraw as counsel.

Court records also show that a plea agreement was reached in September. The agreement calls for the pleas to the two criminal counts. In exchange another corruption count and two indecent assault charges and a charge of furnishing alcohol to a minor were dropped.

Matika accepted the pleas but told Nenscel he was not a party to the plea agreement and didn’t have to go along with it. The plea bargain with the district attorney’s office calls for Nenscel to be sentenced to seven years of probation.

Sentencing was deferred because the charges fall under the provisions of Megan’s Law. Nenscel will have to be evaluated by the state sexual offenders assessment board to determine if he is a violent sexual offender.

Sentencing was scheduled for Feb. 13, 2020.