A man who grabbed and restrained a 14-year-old girl against her will at the Willow Grove Park Mall last summer was sentenced Thursday to spend 3 1/2 to 10 years in prison.
In April, a jury found Khalilh Evans, 45, from Philadelphia, guilty of a felony charge of false imprisonment of a minor. Evans also was ordered to have no contact with minors, to stay away from the mall and to report his address to Pennsylvania's sex offender registry for 15 years.
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The incident at the mall happened around 7 p.m. on July 12, 2023, investigators said. The teen told police she got separated from her friends and noticed Evans as she was riding an escalator down to the mall's first floor. Evans approached the girl and introduced himself as Alex, telling her he was 25 years old and that he wanted to put his number into her phone, authorities said.
After the girl told Evans she was underage, police said Evans grabbed her arm and restrained her as he led her across the first level. The girl eventually escaped from Evans' grasp and shouted to get the attention of bystanders.
Police said Evans left the mall immediately and fled with another man in a dark gray minivan. Investigators identified Evans using surveillance video from the mall, and he surrendered to police the next day. The other man was not charged with any crimes.
At Thursday's sentencing, Common Pleas Judge Wendy G. Rothstein said Evans had "horrible intentions" and preyed on a child, the Pottstown Mercury reported.
Defense attorney Danton Lee Moyer sought a sentence of 11 1/2 to 23 months in county jail that would have given Evans credit for his time served over the last year while awaiting trial. During the trial in April, Moyer argued that Evans never threatened the girl and didn't make any sexual comments toward her. He called the incident an "awkward social interaction" that didn't amount to a crime.
Prosecutors said the surveillance video showed the encounter lasted about 45 seconds.
At the time of Evans' arrest, Abington Township Police Chief Patrick Molloy said the department had received numerous tips from other girls who alleged Evans also had approached them at a mall.
"This is the type of crime where the hair on your back stands up," Molloy said. "It's very disturbing to see that video."