Oct. 3—WILKES-BARRE — A Wilkes-Barre Township man convicted by a Luzerne County jury of sexually assaulting a boy was sentenced to more than three decades in state prison.
Judge David W. Lupas on Tuesday sentenced Charles Zambri, 60, formerly of Nicholson Street, to 16 to 32 years in prison followed by three years probation. Zambri was deemed by Lupas as a violent sexual predator subject to lifetime registration of his address under the state’s Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act.
A jury following a trial in November convicted Zambri on charges of aggravated indecent assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, endangering the welfare of children and corruption of minors.
Wilkes-Barre Township police arrested Zambri on child sex offenses and Brandyn Robert Smith, 36, of attempting to have the boy recant the allegations in September 2019.
Zambri and Smith lived in the same Nicholson Street residence.
Police charged the two men after the boy was questioned by a forensic interviewer at the Luzerne County Children’s Advocacy Center.
According to court records:
During the interview at the Children’s Advocacy Center, the boy claimed he was watching an episode of “Family Guy” with Zambri when a term related to a sexual act was mentioned. The boy asked Zambri about the term that resulted in Zambri showing the boy how to perform a self lewd act.
The boy further claimed Zambri sexually assaulted him several times, court records say.
Police in court records say the boy told Smith about Zambri and Smith pressured the boy to recant the story.
Smith entered a plea agreement with prosecutors in February when he pled guilty to unsworn falsification to authorities before Lupas.
Lupas sentenced Smith to 15 months probation.
Pennsylvania deputy attorney generals Joseph Sembrot and Kristyne Michele Crist prosecuted.