Man Sentenced For Traveling To Have Sex With Teen

A Monessen man has been sentenced to 97 months in federal prison for traveling from his home to have sex with a child from Brigeport, West Virginia. Mark Sassak Jr, age 38, was sentenced Monday in federal court in Clarksburg, West Virginia. According to court documents, Sassak began talking with whom he believed to be a 15-year old female through a social media app. That conversation continued through text messages for several weeks. Sassak then asked for an in-person meeting to have sex. He then drove to a location in Bridgeport in October of 2020 where he was arrested. A search of his cell phone found multiple chats with suspected minors and child pornographic videos. He was found guilty following a three-day trial in December of 2021.