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Local News Article

East Greenville Man Sentenced to Jail for Assault on Pregnant Girlfriend

Written by Kelly Chandler, Staff Writer
2013-05-15

A 30-year-old East Greenville man, who pleaded guilty to assaulting his pregnant girlfriend, was sentenced to 11 ½ to 23 months in county jail in Montgomery County Court last week.

His arrest on June 21, 2012, was his third in three years for domestic violence, authorities said.

According to court administrators, Steven A. Sponsler, of the 500 block of Third Street, was sentenced to jail time by President Judge William J. Furber Jr. after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges of simple assault and recklessly endangering another person. In the June 2012 incident, Sponsler reportedly choked and punched his pregnant girlfriend as she held their 21-month-old son at his home.

Sponsler, who will reportedly be released next month on time served, was ordered to complete two years’ probation and complete domestic violence counseling and parenting classes once he is paroled from jail.

He is prohibited from having contact with the victim during his time under court supervision.

According to an arrest affidavit filed by Upper Perk Police Officer James McVeigh, police were dispatched to the home around 5 p.m. June 21, 2012 by a family member of the victim.

Police said they learned Sponsler became violent after a dispute with the victim over the couple’s son staying at his home. Sponsler wanted him to remain there, authorities said.

He proceeded to “put his hands around her (the victim’s) neck and squeeze.”

Court documents went on to say as he choked the woman, she and the toddler fell onto the living room floor. Sponsler then physically pulled the boy from the woman after she got up and, as he held him, he allegedly punched her in the back of the head.

Police said the woman was able to get away from Sponsler but Sponsler had taken her cell phone and thrown it on the floor, causing it to break.

The woman sustained visible injuries to her neck, police said.

According to court records, Sponsler has an arrest record of assaults dating back to 2003, when he was taken into custody by PA State Police for aggravated assault and related offenses.

He pleaded guilty in both 2010 and 2011 for simple assault after allegedly assaulting a girlfriend and ex-girlfriend in Washington Township and East Greenville, repectively.

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