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	An Uncle Admits Molesting His Nephew The New York City Man Pleaded Guilty to the Assaults during Holiday Visits to Lower Merion By Keith Herbert Philadelphia Inquirer June 13, 2006 http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/ pennsylvania/counties/bucks_county/14803729.htm Former New York City cantor Howard Nevison pleaded guilty yesterday to sexually assaulting his nephew during the mid-1990s in Lower Merion. Nevison, 65, admitted the assaults happened during holidays and family gatherings when Nevison visited relatives on the Main Line. The crimes occurred when the victim was between 3 and 7 years old. Montgomery County Judge Paul Tressler accepted a plea in which Nevison accepts the terms of the negotiated plea bargain but does not admit to the facts presented by the prosecution. Nevison pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of indecent assault, terroristic threats, simple assault, corruption of minors and endangering the welfare of children. Two felony counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse will be dismissed when Nevison is sentenced. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled. In a two-paragraph statement, the victim's parents said they were "pleased" that Nevison admitted to "unconscionable acts" committed against their son. "We are pleased that justice will be served by Howard Nevison's admission of guilt and that the trauma of a trial can be avoided for our son," the statement said. First Assistant Prosecutor Risa V. Ferman said prosecutors were prepared for trial with the victim testifying. "But the reason we reached this agreement was that the family felt that it was in the victim's best interest," Ferman said. "We all know you can win a trial, the appeals go on for years, sometimes decades, and it's never completely over." Nevison faces a maximum prison sentence of up to 19 years, but could get probation, Ferman said. Ralph Jacobs, Nevison's Philadelphia attorney, said yesterday he did not want to comment. In October 1998, the victim's mother told police that her son had been sexually assaulted by his two uncles and cousin. Lawrence Nevison, another of the boy's uncles, is serving a 5-to-15-year sentence for sexual assault. The victim's cousin, Stewart Nevison, served 11 months in prison and was paroled. In 2003, Howard Nevison was put on leave from Temple Emanu-El, on East 65th Street in Manhattan, where he led prayers and sang for 23 years. Contact staff writer Keith Herbert at 610-313-8007 or keithherbert@phillynews.com.
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