Courts. (Credit: LevittownNow.com)
A Horsham Township man, already convicted of child pornography possession in 2021, has pleaded guilty to new and more severe charges involving the rape and sexual abuse of a 10-month-old infant, which he filmed and distributed online, according to a report.
Brian Matthew Groo, 25, of Maple Avenue, entered his guilty plea in Montgomery County Court, admitting to a series of crimes committed between September and October 2024.
Groo pleaded guilty to multiple felony charges including rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, trafficking of minors, possession and dissemination of child pornography, endangering the welfare of a child, and corruption of a minor.
Prosecutors indicated they would seek consecutive mandatory minimum sentences, potentially amounting to more than 100 years in prison.
Assistant District Attorney Lauren Marvel, who is prosecuting the case with Bradley Walter Deckel, described Groo’s actions as “horrendous.” Marvel said Groo not only abused the child and recorded the acts but also shared the video to trade for other child sexual abuse materials, helping to fuel the online market for such exploitation.
At the time of the new offenses, Groo was under court supervision from a previous conviction and was prohibited from having unsupervised contact with minors. Despite these restrictions, he gained access to the infant and produced a video that was later detected by law enforcement.
The new investigation was launched after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sent a CyberTip to Montgomery County Detectives. The tip involved videos uploaded via the Kik messaging app, one of which showed the recent sexual abuse of an infant. Investigators quickly traced the content to Groo’s online accounts and his Maple Avenue residence.
On October 30, 2024, detectives executed a search warrant at Groo’s home. During the search, Groo revealed a “secret phone” hidden under a couch. Forensic examination confirmed the Kik app and the incriminating videos were on the device. Groo admitted to producing the video and sending it to a woman he had met online.
Groo is currently being held in the Montgomery County jail on $2,000,077 bail and awaits sentencing scheduled for October 2025. He will also undergo drug, alcohol, and mental health evaluations, and be reviewed by the Pennsylvania Sexual Offenders Assessment Board to determine if he should be classified as a sexually violent predator. If so, he would face stricter supervision and lifetime registration requirements, including community notification.
