Fugitive Coach Charged With Child-Rape Arrested In Florida

BENSALEM, PA — A former youth football coach in Bensalem who disappeared as his trial on child-sex charges was set to begin last week has been arrested in Florida, according to authorities.

Shannon "Shawn" Westmoreland, 48, of West Chester, was captured by members of the U.S. Marshals fugitive task force late Monday afternoon in Daytona Beach, Florida, the Bucks County District Attorney's office announced late Monday night.

Westmoreland, who is charged with sexually assaulting three children when they were as young as 4 years old, had been on the run since Monday, Oct. 22, when he failed to appear for the first day of trial on the charges. Judge Jeffrey L. Finley revoked his bail that day and issued a warrant for his arrest.

The Marshals service said Westmoreland was taken into custody without incident at about 5:30 p.m. Monday after the officers stopped a minivan he was driving. He was taken to Volusia County Jail for processing.

"In finding and arresting this defendant, the U.S. Marshal Service has shown again why they're the best in the business when it comes to finding people who don't want to be found," said Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub. "While it is now our job to bring this man to justice, we would be unable to do so if not for the Marshals' tireless efforts and expertise. They never let us down."

Westmoreland was arrested last year, while he was a youth coach with the Bensalem Ramblers football program, on charges that he raped a 15-year-old. He was further charged with sexually assaulting two other children, one of them a girl whom he allegedly started assaulting when she was 4 years old.

He's also charged with assaulting a third girl when she was 6 years old, in 1999, and again in 2011, when she was 18.

He is charged with rape, sexual assault, rape of a child under 13, rape of a child, statutory sexual assault, indecent assault of a child and other crimes. According to court documents, at least 15 of the charges against him are felonies.

He also was charged last week with default in required appearance after not showing up for court.

"It is a top priority for the Marshals Service to bring those charged with serious sex crimes to justice. I hope the victims will find comfort knowing Mr. Westmoreland is once again in custody,” said Supervisory Dep. Robert Clark, of the U.S. Marshal Service.

Bucks County Detectives, Bensalem Police and the Bucks County Sheriff's Office worked with the Marshals to investigate Westmoreland's whereabouts.

Photo courtesy Bucks County District Attorney's office