Delmont man convicted of attempted sexual assault

A Delmont man was convicted Wednesday of the attempted sexual assault of a woman whom investigators claimed he later threatened in a failed effort to prevent her from testifying against him.

A Westmoreland County jury deliberated about an hour before it returned guilty verdicts against Brandon Pyle, 28, in connection with an incident Nov. 24, 2022.

Prosecutors during the one-day trial contended Pyle attempted a forcible sexual assault against the woman. He then threatened to withhold money she said she needed to care for herself and a newborn child if she cooperated with authorities, prosecutors said.

Pyle could receive sentences of up to 20 years in prison as a result of the felony conviction for attempted sexual assault and a misdemeanor offense of simple assault.

The jury found Pyle not guilty of victim intimidation related to the threats.

Pyle’s accuser testified she and Pyle had been together on the night of the attack and told jurors she became upset after seeing and confronting him about a link on his cellphone to a pornographic website for male prostitutes.

She said Pyle became enragedand twice attempted to force her into sexual activity before halting the attack.

Prosecutors said a month later the woman failed to appear at two scheduled preliminary hearings for Pyle.

“I was scared, and I felt like my life was in danger,” she testified. “He said he didn’t want to go back to jail, and tried to bribe me and take me on a shopping trip.”

Defense attorney Ken Noga told jurors the case against Pyle stemmed from a bizarre situation.

“Just because she became upset doesn’t mean this was an attempted sexual assault,” Noga told the jury. “What happened was not criminal in nature. An argument does not make a crime.”

But Assistant District Attorney Mike Pacek countered that Pyle admitted to the attempted sexual assault and said the evidence warranted convictions to the crimes charged.

Pyle was free on bail until December, when he was charged by Greensburg police with burglary and making threats against another woman in a case that remains pending.

Common Pleas Judge Tim Krieger said Pyle will remain in jail until he is sentenced later this year.