Source: Abington Police Department.
Abington Township police have arrested a Willow Grove man following an investigation into the alleged sexual assault of a minor, authorities said.
According to the Abington Township Police Department, detectives with the department’s Special Victims Unit began investigating the case on Jan. 8, 2026, after receiving information that a 13-year-old victim may have been sexually assaulted within the township.
The investigation determined that the suspect, identified as 31-year-old Shaquan Bell of the Willow Grove section of Abington Township, allegedly began communicating with the victim through Instagram in August 2025. Police say the communication continued for several months.
On Jan. 6, 2026, Bell allegedly met the victim in Dauphin County, where the victim resides. Investigators allege the two then traveled to Bell’s residence in the 2400 block of Old Welsh Road, where the assault is reported to have occurred. The victim returned home the following day and reported the incident to authorities.
Following the investigation and in consultation with the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, an arrest warrant was issued for Bell on Jan. 28, 2026. He was taken into custody at his residence on Jan. 29 by Abington Township police.
Bell has been charged with multiple felony offenses, including statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, and unlawful contact with minors. He was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Dara Nasatir, who set bail at $1 million. As part of his bail conditions, Bell was ordered to have no contact with the victim, have no contact with any minors, and to refrain from accessing the internet.
Police say the investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with additional information related to the case, or who believes they may have been a victim of Bell, is urged to contact Detective Alison Gontowski of the Abington Township Police Department’s Special Victims Unit at 267-536-1100 or by email at [email protected]
