City resident designated as sexual predator
Fliers handed out identifying 23-year-old
By Paula Holzman, Intelligencer Journal Staff
Intelligencer Journal
LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - Lancaster city police notified residents, businesses and
officials Thursday that the city for the first time has a “sexually violent
predator” as a resident.
A Lancaster County Court judge ruled that the designation applies to Matthew
James Quarles, 23, of 343 N. Queen St.
“Mr. Quarles has a mental abnormality that predisposes him to sexual violence,”
Robert Stein, a psychologist and a member of the Sexual Offenders Assessment
Board, testified at the hearing before the judge.
“The designation is not a psychological or clinical diagnosis. It is based on
behavioral acts. It is based on offenders’ established behavior, not what
they’re saying in the office.”
Quarles pleaded guilty in March 2003 to many charges, including involuntary
deviate sexual intercourse relating to the sexual molestation of two male
children. The label of “sexually violent predator” will follow him for the rest
of his life.
Police were required to notify others of Quarles’ presence under the provisions
of Megan’s Law, which stipulates the state make public information about
individuals who have been convicted of or plead guilty to certain crimes,
including sexual offenses against children.
“The Megan’s Law statute was created for people such as Mr. Quarles,” Assistant
District Attorney Todd Kriner said. “I agree with Dr. Stein that the (sexually
violent predator) tag is appropriate in this case.”
Quarles is the first Lancaster city resident to merit the designation, Detective
Andrew Morgan said.
Police Thursday handed out about 150 fliers bearing Quarles’ picture, name,
address and the charge for which he was convicted.
State law requires police must notify the following groups of a sexually violent
predator’s presence:
t Businesses and neighbors within a 250-foot radius of the offenders’ dwelling
or the 25 closest residents, whichever is greater.
t The superintendent of the school district where the offender lives, as well as
other top officials for nearby private or parochial schools.
t The director of the county children and youth agency.
t Directors of any nearby licensed day-care centers.
t The president of any college within 1,000 feet of the offender’s dwelling.
Morgan said area residents should not have to radically alter their daily lives
in response to the information.
“Parents should do what they always do, keep their eyes open and keep children
within eyesight,” he said. “This is just another tool in making families aware
of people that live in their area.”
At the same time, the flier is “in no way intended to give people the right to
intimidate or harass the offender himself,” Morgan said.
“We don’t want to make this something people overreact to, either.”
Some shop owners on North Queen street posted the fliers in their windows
Thursday afternoon.
“I’m glad I don’t have a wife or kids here,” said a shop owner who can see
Quarles’ second-floor window from behind his counter.
The owner, who asked not to be identified, said he’s concerned because many
children do come into his shop.
“I’m not jumping for joy,” he said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if a petition
started circulating about (Quarles). You’d have no problem finding people to
sign it.”
He would have preferred the police notify businesses and residents before
Quarles moved into the neighborhood.
Nolt’s Auto Parts store manager Tom Patrignani, whose store is directly below
Quarles’ apartment, said he recognized Quarles from the photo on the flier.
“I was surprised to see the photo and to see which person it was, of all the
people who go in and out of upstairs,” he said.
But he wasted no time showing the flier to his staff, especially to women who
sometimes work in the store alone.
Patrignani said he was concerned the police did not specify what type of victims
Quarles had targeted.
“There are three older ladies who live upstairs. Should they be concerned?” he
asked.
Block resident Clyde Dukeman said he also would have liked to have received more
specific information about Quarles’ offenses.
“People need a place to live and all, but how many times has he done this?” he
said. “There are a lot of children in the area. (Quarles) should be monitored
for a long, long while.”
Kiner said the strong reaction and awareness kindled by the fliers is a good
thing.
“(The flier) is going to raise a lot of red flags in the communities,” he said.
“You think of a predator as out stalking, and a lot of determination does go
into this. (Predators) groom their victims, and that takes place over a long,
long time.”
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