Convicted serial molester found guilty of possessing child sexual abuse material

May 23—WILKES-BARRE — A Luzerne County jury took its time Wednesday before finding Jack P. Covert II guilty of possession of child sexual abuse material.

The jury deliberated for about six hours before reaching a verdict in which Covert, 65, formerly of Second Street, Dallas Township, was found guilty of six counts of child pornography and one count of criminal use of a communications facility.

Covert faced a one-day trial before Judge David W. Lupas.

Dallas Township Police and Luzerne County Detectives charged Covert in February 2021 after executing a search warrant on his home as part of an investigation into downloading child sexual abuse material.

Assistant District Attorney Carly Levandoski, prosecuting the case, told the jury that 19 electronic devices were seized from Covert’s apartment, including computer cases and laptops.

These electronic devices, Levandoski said, were forensically analyzed at the Pennsylvania State Police Computer Crime Lab.

County Sergeant Detective Charles Balogh said two of the devices contained images of stored child sexual abuse material.

Covert’s attorney, Ellen Granahan, told the jury that there were other people living in the apartment and suggested that the offensive materials belonged to them.

Dallas Township Police Detective Robert Odgers said Covert’s nickname “Jay” was used to download sexual images of children.

Covert has been charged with multiple child sexual abuse charges since 2021, involving multiple girls.

Covert recently pleaded guilty to sexually abusing three girls, was found guilty by an earlier jury of sexually abusing a fourth girl, and is scheduled to appear in court in June on charges that he sexually abused a fifth girl.

Court records show that Covert was convicted in September 2000 of sexually abusing a then 14-year-old girl at his tattoo parlor on South Main Street in Wilkes-Barre. He appealed the verdict and the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court granted him a retrial. The Supreme Court ruled that Judge Mark Ciavarella was wrong to address the jury without Covert’s attorney present and to prevent the presentation of certain evidence.

When he was granted a new trial, Covert instead pleaded guilty to sexual assault to avoid a second trial. He was sentenced to three months in the county jail.