Cops, Courts & Fire -Bristol Borough
Bristol Man Sentenced 18 to 42 years in State Prison for Filming His Sexual Assaults of Three Children, Sharing the Videos Online
Bucks County District Attorney, then the first deputy, did not mince her words last November at a press conference to announce the arrest of Brian Nathaniel Harris, 29, of Pond Street for heinous crimes against children, one he was entrusted with, which was a family member.
“A predator living among us like this is a community’s worst fear.”
That palpable fear is no more when it comes to Harris who was facing more than 155 felony counts (161 in total). After he entered an open guilty plea Friday afternoon in front of Common Pleas Judge Gary B. Gilman, he was sentenced to 18-42 years in state prison, three years of probation, ordered to undergo sex offender treatment and a mental health evaluation for sexually assaulting three children, recording the assaults, and sharing some of the recordings on various social media sites.
Gilman said before imposing Harris’ sentence that he spent a good deal of time reading and researching treatments offered to sex offenders and it was clear to him there is no treatment that is effective in reducing offender behavior and as such, he must consider community safety first.
During the sentencing hearing, Harris’ parents were sitting directly behind the sentenced man, next to this reporter.
Relatives of the victims packed a courtroom at the Criminal Justice Center on Friday with some victims providing statements to Judge Gilman on how Harris’s crimes have impacted the lives of the victims and their families.
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One of Harris’ victims, a teen aged boy living with a serious health issue at the time, said in a voice devoid of emotion, he thought Harris was his friend.
“For years, he convinced me that he was a trusted friend, and that he would always protect me,” he said. “For four years, I kept what the defendant did to me a secret. Every day I worried it would happen again. Hiding it took a huge toll on my mental health. Even now, while it is no longer a secret, I am still learning how to process all of my feelings.”
The young man told the judge that he wants a sentence that would make sure Harris “never has the chance to hurt another child, or their family, the way that he has hurt me and my family.”
Gilman said to the young man, you are a brave, articulate, smart young man to share what you did.
Prosecutor Kristin M. McElroy, after the impact statements, ticked off reasons why Harris should never be allowed back into a free society. She cited a juvenile arrest in which Harris was sent to Raven Hill, a forensic inpatient youth facility that deals with sexually problematic behaviors. Harris later admitted not taking part in the treatment offered in any meaningful way because his lawyer told him not to say anything. It wasn’t the last time his sexually assaultive behavior was exposed as he was confronted for placing his hands on a girl not more than 6 years old, which was not reported to authorities but managed by his parents.
A woman sitting in the back row of the courtroom shrieked in pain upon hearing the new yet old information.
Last year, the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that said a person shared an image of child pornography on the social media site Snapchat. The investigation led authorities to Harris.
The investigation did not stop there. Investigators continued working through the Thanksgiving holiday weekend serving search warrants for his electronic devices, finding more than 500 image and video files in which a key piece of evidence against Harris was a black ring with the words “Yee Yee” inscribed. He was wearing that same ring when he was first arrested.
Asked if she was happy with the sentencing, McElroy said, I’m truly happy for the victims and their families getting some justice today.
This case was investigated by Bucks County Detectives with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Attorney General’s Office, the United States Marshal Service, Falls Township Police Department, and the Bristol Borough Police Department.
To read the two criminal complaints filed against Harris last year you can click here.
Bristol Borough Fire Chief Herb Slack on Tuesday morning released the following statement on last nights Dorrance Street Fire.
It’s only been edited for style:
Credit: Submitted
Credit: Joe Nelson
Cops
Emergency Crews Prepare for Incoming Blizzard as Lower Bucks Municipalities Declare Storm Plans
Lower Bucks municipalities have declared disaster/snow emergencies in advance of the expected snow storm that the National Weather Service says will dump anywhere between 14 to 18 inches on the area.
A winter storm warning is still in effect from Sunday, Feb 22 to Monday, Feb 23.
Each municipality has its own link. For more information and updates, please click on their associated link.
Bensalem Township – Disaster Emergency declared immediately for the pending snow storm. Click here to see more details.
Bristol Borough – Snow information/requirements have been posted on their website. Click here to see the details.
Bristol Township – Snow Emergency effective 12 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026 through 12 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. Click here to see more details.
Falls Township – Snow Emergency starts Sunday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. and expires on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 6 a.m. Click here for details.
Langhorne Borough – Snow Emergency starts Sunday, Feb. 22 at noon until Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. No parking. Click here for details.
Lower Makefield Township – Snow information has been posted on Meta. Click here to see the details.
Middletown Township – Snow Emergency is in effect from Sunday, Feb. 22 at 12 p.m. to Monday, Feb. 23 at 12 p.m. . Click here to see details.
Morrisville Borough – Snow Emergency is in effect from Sunday, Feb. 22 at 5 p.m. to Monday, Feb. 23 at 5 p.m. Click here to see the details.
Newtown Township – A Snow Emergency is in effect from 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026 until 4 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. Click here to see the details.
Penndel Borough – Snow Emergency has been declared from 12 p.m. on Sunday, February 22, 2026, through 12 p.m. on Monday, February 23, 2026. Click here for more details and click here for more on the ordinance.
Tullytown Borough – Snow Emergency proclamation in effect from Sunday Feb. 22 – 6 p.m. to Monday Feb. 23 – 6 p.m. Click here to see more details.
Warminster Township – Disaster Emergency has been declared for the incoming snow storm, effective Sunday Feb. 22, 2026 at 12 p.m. through Tuesday, Feb. 24,2026 at 12 p.m.. Click here to see the details and click here to see the declaration from Township Manager Tom Scott.
Yardley Borough – Snow Emergency proclamation in effect from Sunday Feb. 22 – 4 p.m. to Monday Feb. 23 – 4 p.m. . Click here to see the details. and click here to see declaration/other information from Mayor Caroline Thompson.
The primary concern is safety. Take care of yourselves and check on neighbors and those who may be vulnerable.
Please stay safe, take all necessary precautions, and keep your devices charged.
Click here for updates from the National Weather Service
Click here for PECO’s outage map.
Cops, Courts & Fire -Bristol Borough
Cops: Bristol Man Charged with Robbery; Suspect Identified Via Sports Jacket Seen on Video During Altercation
A Bristol Borough man was taken into custody and jailed Friday night accused of robbery, simple assault, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct stemming from a Jan. 26 incident at the Sunoco Gas Station on Bath Road and Rt 13.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Bristol Borough Police were dispatched to the gas station/convenience store at 10:45 p.m by 911 after the assault/robbery was called in by gas station staff.
Responding police officers met with the employee who said two men entered the store and one attempted to rob him, assaulted him, damaged the store and then fled on foot. The employee said one of the two suspects reached through the safety glass that is usually in place during night hours, punching him in the face and neck area several times and breaking his glasses, the criminal complaint alleges.
Officers noted, in the probable cause, visible bruising on the employee’s face from the robbery assault. In addition, there were a number of store items damaged.
The victim told police the direction the suspects fled which officers canvassed and came up empty in the suspect search.
On Jan 27 officers reviewed gas station security video footage (no audio) showing, according to the probable cause, Mark Rodriguez (who police had yet to identify) getting into an argument with the victim, reaching underneath the security window, pulling it up and pummeling the victim.
The unidentified man with Rodriguez remained nearby but was on his cell phone, police said, at the time of the assault and was wearing a Bristol High School sports jacket.
Bristol Borough Police identified the owner of the jacket (a minor) with help from school district officials. The minor provided a written statement to police identifying a family member of his/hers (Rodriguez) as the suspect who assaulted the Sunoco Gas Station employee and that he was present for the altercation.
The written statement was facilitated by Bristol Borough Middle/High School Lead Teacher Mike Poploskie, and sent via email to lead investigator/officer Chris Tehan. Subsequently police were able to confirm Rodriguez’s identity and that he lives on the 150 block of Otter Street.
About one week later, police met with the parents of the student who was present at the altercation in which the minor was interviewed by police.
The youngster provided police with a “voluntary” statement confirming his/her previous written statement and allowing police to have a warrant issued for Rodriguez’s arrest.
Rodriguez was arraigned by on-call District Judge Mark D. Douple last Friday on robbery and related counts. He set bail at 10 percent of $75,000.00 and remanded Rodriguez to Bucks County Jail until his next hearing date, currently set for Feb 25.
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