Crime & Safety

Montco Camp Director Accused of Failing to Report Sexual Assault

Ryan Wexelblatt allegedly failed to report a sexual assault at the camp in Upper Perkiomen Valley.

Original reporting by Tim Zatzariny

The director of a popular Perkiomen Valley summer camp allegedly failed to report a sexual assault at the camp, authorities said Wednesday. 

Ryan Wexelblatt was arrested Tuesday and charged with failing to report suspected child abuse and related offenses. 

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Wexelblatt is the founder and director of Camp Sequoia,  an overnight summer camp for boys ages 8 to 17 diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The camp operates on the campus of Perkiomen School in Pennsburg, where it rents space from the school, with which it is not directly affiliated.  

In July, the Upper Perkiomen Police District  received an online Crime Stoppers tip alleging two juveniles sexually assaulted another at the camp, and that the camp's director failed to report the incident to police. 

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Upper Perkiomen police and the Montgomery County Detective Bureau conducted a joint investigation in the alleged assault and the accusation that Wexelblatt failed to report it. 

The investigation revealed that overnight from July 4 to July 5, the alleged victim told camp counselors he had been sexually assaulted in his room that night. The counselors immediately notified the camp's senior counselor, who in turn explained to Wexelblatt the alleged assault and identified the juveniles responsible, early in the morning on July 5, said Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman. 

The investigation also revealed that Wexelblatt briefly interviewed all of the juveniles involved in the assault and told his senior counselor to drive the two juveniles responsible for the alleged assault to the Philadelphia Airport that same morning, July 5, and to make sure they boarded return flights to their home states, according to Ferman. 

"At no time did Wexelblatt report the victim’s suspected sexual assault to any law enforcement or child protective services, pursuant to his mandatory responsibilities, as a child care worker, to report such assaults on children," Ferman said in a release. "At no time did Wexelblatt instruct any of his counselors and/or employees to report the victim’s suspected sexual assault to the proper authorities."

Wexelblatt was arraigned Tuesday before Magisterial District Judge Catherine M. Hummel Fried. His bail was set at $20,000.  

Wexelblatt’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Sept. 12 before Hummel Fried.


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