Pennsylvania Man Held For Raping Woman, Teaching 3-Year-Old Girl To Smoke Marijuana

A man from Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, was arrested Monday for raping a woman and providing a three-year-old girl with marijuana.

The woman informed the Children and Youth Services a man who lived with her raped her several times. The complaint was forwarded to the Mount Holly Springs police Monday following which the accused, identified as 33-year-old John Yurasits, was taken into custody. Investigation revealed the man had raped the victim three times since January and last incident took place on Easter Sunday.

During interrogation, the accused told police he had provided a three-year-old girl with marijuana and also taught her how to smoke from a pipe.

“He handed the bowl to the three-year-old — in the direction that she would have to ingest the drugs, and told her, ‘It’s easy. Suck into it like a McDonald’s straw,'” said Detective Andrew Wolfe.

The accused told the investigators he thought it would help treat the girl’s autism. However, investigation revealed she was never diagnosed.

“He said he has scientific research that it helps with autism. I’m not sure what scientist he spoke to, but that’s what he said. He’s just giving her marijuana that he’s buying off the street from Jim Bob or whoever, and letting her smoke it from a pipe that he has,” Wolfe said.

CBS-affiliated television station WHP-TV stated the three-year-old girl was Yurasits’ daughter and the woman was the mother of the child; however, official reports about the relationship have not been released.

The accused also admitted to physically harming the child in march.

“He admitted that he lost control because she was bad, and he hit her and caused her a lot of severe pain,” Wolfe said.

Yurasits was charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, simple assault and endangering the welfare of children.

The incident occurred less than a month after an Oregon woman was arrested for giving a 4-month-old girl a bag of marijuana to chew on. The woman, who also recorded the video, was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a minor.