Commonwealth v. Halsted

OPINION

NIX, Chief Justice.

Appellant, Harry Eugene Halsted, was convicted by a jury of two counts each of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse1 and indecent assault2 and sentenced to five to ten years’ imprisonment. The Superior Court affirmed the conviction and sentence, and Appellant appealed to this Court. For the reasons that follow, we reverse.

On April 6, 1987, Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Steven Danko went to the home of eleven-year-old B.M. to answer a *320complaint of possible child abuse. Trooper Danko interviewed B.M. in the presence of his father. The -child told the trooper that…