Latest News from State Capitol and 55th District??

June 12, 2025

Protecting Our Children, Holding Offenders Accountable

For generations, several works of literature have been written about the “perfect crime,” one that goes without detection and unpunished.

Unfortunately, those who commit crimes against children often do go unpunished. However, ask those who are victims if the crime was perfect.

But for those who work with children, are entrusted with their care, and use that trust to groom their prey to be victimized, the punishment should be reflective of that drastic violation.

This is why I was glad to vote in favor of House Bill 355 recently. 

The measure proposes to update two sections of the criminal code related to crimes of corruption of minors and unlawful contact with a minor.

First, it enhances sentencing for courts to consider in cases where mandated reporters are guilty of sexually corrupting youth. Mandated reporting is a title attributed by law to those careers which often involve work with children. Mandated reporters include employees in schools, health care, religious institutions, law enforcement, social services and libraries.

Second, the definition of unlawful contact with a minor is expanded to include human trafficking, incest and sexual child endangerment as crimes that contribute to the illegal contact.

Statistics regarding child sexual abuse in Pennsylvania are hard to come by because so many cases go unreported. This is because of the fear and shame that is often associated with being a victim. However, as reported by the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association, one in five girls and one in 20 boys is a victim of child sexual abuse. Furthermore, between 2019 and 2023, 32,075 people were charged in 36,386 child abuse cases in Pennsylvania.

One such abuser was Joseph Palmer Jr., a former police officer in the city of York.

In 2022, Palmer was arrested and charged after an investigation showed that for nearly five months, he preyed upon, groomed, intimidated and ultimately sexually assaulted a local teenager. He was initially charged with child sex abuse, including unlawful sexual contact, indecent assault, unlawful sexual communication, having sexual digital images, child pornography and corruption of minors.

Roughly a year later, Palmer agreed to a guilty plea for the misdemeanor charge of corruption of minors. The other charges were dropped, and he was sentenced to serve five years on probation. 

His victim, Grace McGhee, now 19 years old, and her father, Chris, were in the House gallery when the vote occurred last month. Since the case ended, the pair have circulated throughout the capitol building, advocating for this important change, which passed unanimously and is now up for consideration in the Senate.

Sexually victimizing children is among the most heinous crimes, and it sickens me to think of how many victims go silent. Proposals like House Bill 355 are just one way that this silent group of victims may somehow find justice. 

Here are some additional news topics and reminders I would like to share.

Retire Old Flags Using Student-Created Flag Drop Boxes – If you have old flags at home, my district offices are now accepting worn or tattered American flags for proper and respectful retirement. I'm especially proud to showcase a student-designed flag drop box created between the auto body repair and multimedia programs at Northern Westmoreland Career & Technology Center. Heavenly Hall from Kiski Area School District and Brandon Grimm from Burrell School District worked together to bring this vision to life. Under the guidance of auto body repair instructor, Mr. Salem, these talented students designed and applied custom graphics showcasing not only their skills, but their pride in honoring our country's symbols. Stop by, drop off your retired flag, and see the incredible craftsmanship of our local students for yourself!

PHEAA Hosts Scholarship Sweepstakes - The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) is giving away $2,500 no-essay scholarships through its PA Forward and Keystone Student Loan programs! 

The scholarship sweepstakes is for college students, graduate students and their parents for the 2025-26 academic year who opt in to receive communications from PHEAA between June 5 and Dec. 15. The communications are designed to provide students and families with tips on planning and paying for college. 

Twelve winners will be selected for each scholarship. Winners will be announced in August and December of this year. The PA Forward scholarship is open to PA residents only. For more information, visit PHEAA.org.

An Ice Cream Lover’s Dream Getaway! - Looking for a way to sweeten your summer? Check out this year’s Scooped: An Ice Cream Trail to help find the best cool treats of the season. 

A partnership of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s PA Preferred® program, the state’s Tourism Office and the Center for Dairy Excellence, the eighth annual ice cream trail will take visitors all across Pennsylvania to more dairy destinations than ever.

Participants can accumulate points by visiting trail stops and making purchases. Points accumulated from May 30 to Sept. 7 earn prizes through the trail’s digital passport. Prizes include a commemorative metal tumbler for six stops, and for 10 stops, an entry into a grand prize drawing to win an overnight getaway to Lancaster County to experience “life on the farm.” 

Travelers on the Ice Cream Trail can plan their adventures, learn about participating creameries and sign up for the free digital passport at visitpa.com/scooped. 



Representative Jill Cooper
55th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jordan Frei
724.875.8450
jfrei@pahousegop.com
RepJillCooper.com / Facebook.com/RepJillCooper