William Stonebraker: Charges, No-Contact Violations, and Trial

The William Stonebraker case is a Blair County, Pennsylvania prosecution in which William John Stonebraker, 56, of Hollidaysburg, and his wife Marie Louise Stonebraker, 44, each face hundreds of felony counts tied to the alleged sexual abuse of children. The two are scheduled for a joint jury trial beginning August 10, 2026, with jury selection on August 3 before President Judge Wade A. Kagarise.¹ A prosecution motion to revoke William’s bail is pending.

The Charges Against William Stonebraker

William Stonebraker was first charged in 2020 after a 17-year-old disclosed past sexual abuse to her sister. She told investigators Stonebraker had warned her he would go to jail if she told anyone. Pennsylvania State Police at Hollidaysburg investigated, and that case was still working through the courts when a second case opened.²

In March 2023, prosecutors filed 634 additional counts stemming from a second victim’s accusations. According to the criminal complaint, the abuse began when that victim was six years old at a residence in Frankstown Township, and between ages eight and eleven she reported being assaulted at least twice per week. The counts include 312 counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, 16 felony counts of corruption of minors, one felony count of aggravated indecent assault of a person under 13, one count of indecent assault, one count of strangulation, and three misdemeanor counts of indecent exposure.³

Investigators said Stonebraker forced the victim to watch him have sex with her mother on multiple occasions and strangled her at least once.⁴ The complaint also alleged he placed his genitals on the victim while naked, showered with her, and forced her to touch him inappropriately.⁵ The 2023 case also included indecent exposure charges involving other teenagers ages 12 and 14.³

Marie Stonebraker’s Charges

Marie Stonebraker faces her own set of hundreds of felony charges, including indecent assault of a person under 13 and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child. According to reports from the Blair County Children’s Advocacy Center, a victim said she was made to watch William and Marie engage in sexual intercourse on two occasions when she was between 10 and 12 years old. The victim also reported that Marie touched her inappropriately, that she was made to touch Marie’s genitals, and that when William was not home she would sleep with Marie, a practice that continued until she was about 12.⁶

In early 2025, Marie was charged with three felony counts of intimidating a witness and retaliating against a witness. The charges stemmed from a 56-minute YouTube video in which she said she was sharing her side of “the truth and lies,” read letters directed at the victim, and discussed the active criminal case. The Blair County District Attorney’s Office alerted state police to the video in February 2024, a search warrant led investigators to the YouTube account, and troopers reviewed the video in May and December 2024 before filing charges.⁷ Prosecutors have called the video a violation of a Protection from Abuse order and an act of retaliation meant to shame and insult the victim.¹

Bail and Alleged No-Contact Violations

William Stonebraker has been free on a combined $400,000 bail since March 2023, with $150,000 set in one case and $250,000 in the other. A strict condition of release prohibits any contact with the minor victims or witnesses named in the complaints.⁵

On June 11, 2026, Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Mays moved to revoke that bail. The motion alleges a victim reported Stonebraker maintained “regular communication” with her directly and through third parties, and that those communications involved discussing the pending case and pressuring her to recant. The DA’s office has asked that he be jailed until the cases are resolved. A ruling had not been issued as of the most recent reporting.⁵

Separately, in December 2025, both William and Marie filed emergency motions seeking temporary permission to contact a victim during a family funeral after a shared family member died on November 27, 2025. Their attorneys argued the family “should be together and grieve together.” No ruling on those motions was reported.⁶

Motions to Dismiss and the Recantation

The four cases against the Stonebrakers were consolidated for trial in July 2025 by Senior Judge Richard Lewis of Dauphin County. An earlier trial date in mid-October 2025 was scheduled and then canceled.⁶

At the June 11, 2026 hearing, defense attorneys for both defendants moved to dismiss. Thomas Dickey, representing William, argued for dismissal on grounds of “overall fairness and due process,” telling the court a victim had recanted her allegations to her own attorney and told both the defense and prosecution that the events described in the affidavits of probable cause “didn’t happen.” Julia Burke, who took over Marie’s defense in February 2026, filed a mirrored motion.¹

ADA Mays argued the motions should be denied, saying “cases are tried every day in which the victims are uncooperative.” He said prosecutors intend to present expert testimony on victim recantations and inconsistent behavior and plan to introduce evidence of victim intimidation and obstruction to explain the changed account. Judge Kagarise denied both motions to dismiss without comment.¹

Trial Schedule and Potential Penalties

Jury selection is set for August 3, 2026, with the trial beginning August 10, 2026, in Blair County Court of Common Pleas. The trial is expected to last five days. Both defendants remain free on bail, though the pending motion could change William’s status before trial.¹

The sentencing exposure is severe. Under Pennsylvania law, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child under 13 is a first-degree felony carrying a maximum prison term of 40 years per count.⁸ William Stonebraker faces 312 counts of that charge alone. Aggravated indecent assault of a victim under 13 is also a first-degree felony under state law.⁹

1
Altoona Mirror. Blair Court: Judge Denies Motion to Dismiss
2
Altoona Mirror. Child Sex Assault Charges to Stand
3
PennLive. Pa. Man Faces Over 600 Charges in Child Sexual Abuse Cases
4
ABC 33/40. Man Accused of Forcing Girl to Watch Him Have Sex With Her Mother
5
Altoona Mirror. Blair Court: DA Seeking to Revoke Bail
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Altoona Mirror. Accused Child Sexual Abusers Seek Emergency Bail Modification
7
WTAJ. Woman Charged in Sex Abuse Case Accused of Intimidating Victim in Online Video
8
Pennsylvania General Assembly. 18 Pa.C.S. § 3123 – Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse
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PCAR. Sexual Assault Laws in PA