Published: October 23, 2009 09:18 am      

Man pleads guilty to sex abuse

EBENSBURG — A New Jersey man has pleaded guilty in Cambria County Court to four felony charges in the sexual abuse of a Johnstown-area teenaged girl whom he met online.

Andrew Luko, 29, of Bridge-ton, N.J., will face up to 40 years in prison and/or fines totaling up to $100,000 when he is sentenced Jan. 13 by Judge David Tulowitzki.

Luko pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of statutory sexual assault and two counts of aggravated indecent assault.

Prior to sentencing, the Pennsylvania Sexual Offenders Assessment Board will perform an evaluation to determine whether he is a sexually violent offender likely to commit the these types of offenses again.

Regardless of whether the judge eventually determines Luko is a sexually violent offender, Luko will have a lifetime registration with the state police as a sex offender, prosecutors noted.

County detectives alleged that Luko had traveled to Johnstown twice in 2007 to meet with the girl.

One meeting was in March when the girl was 14 and the other was over a three-day period in July after she had turned 15. On both occasions, he took her to a motel, where authorities said the sexual abuse took place.

The girl was able to tell detectives that she thought the man’s last name was Luko and that he drove an SUV, according to an affidavit.

Authorities tracked Luko down through motel records and his Ford Blazer vehicle registration.