80-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting teen in Lehigh, Bradford counties

An 80-year-old man is accused of sexually assaulting a teen on multiple occasions in Lehigh and Bradford counties in Pennsylvania.

Dennis Kochenash of Wyalusing Borough is charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person less than 16 years old, statutory sexual assault, corruption of minors and other related offenses.

The investigation began on Oct. 27, 2025, when Pennsylvania State Police in Fogelsville received a ChildLine report of a teen who was first sexually assaulted in 2024 at the age of 14.

Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673.

Investigators said Kochenash began communicating with the teen through text messages and the social media app Snapchat. Kochenash communicated with the teen for several months – both online and in person – before he began to sexually assault the victim, according to officials.

Police said Kochenash sexually assaulted the teen several times in December 2024 and gave the victim marijuana. The assaults took place in both Bradford County and at the victim’s home in Lehigh County, according to investigators. Officials also said Kochenash lived in Whitehall in Lehigh County for several years before moving to Bradford County.

Kochenash was taken into custody on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, and is awaiting extradition to Lehigh County. Both the Bradford County District Attorney’s Office and the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office continue to investigate. Anyone with information on Kochenash should contact Pennsylvania State Police at 610-395-1438.

Online court records for Kochenash are not yet available.