A 44-year-old Westmoreland County man was arrested Jan. 14 after investigators said he offered a mother $5,000 to buy her 6-year-old daughter and inappropriately touched the child during an overnight visit at a home on Gene Drive. Police identified the suspect as Theodore Magee and said he was denied bail at the county prison.
Authorities said the arrest followed a months-long investigation that began last spring and centered on messages and videos seized from Magee’s phone. Detectives allege Magee referred to the girl as his “girlfriend” in communications and sent a text to the child’s mother offering money to purchase her. The case carries felony counts including trafficking in individuals and aggravated indecent assault. Officials described the episode as disturbing and said the inquiry required phone warrants, interviews and reviews of digital files. The immediate stakes now include forensic analysis of devices, scheduling of court appearances and notification of additional agencies responsible for child welfare.
According to a criminal complaint summarized by Allegheny Township police, the child’s mother told investigators she had allowed Magee, described as a family friend, to watch her daughter overnight at his home on Gene Drive. The girl later disclosed that Magee touched her while they slept on an air mattress, police said. Detectives interviewed Magee, who told officers he only hugged the child. Investigators said he showed them messages and videos in which he called the girl his girlfriend. A search warrant executed on his phone produced photos and videos of the child, according to police. “These cases can sometimes be long and drawn out … Happily, we did, and I am pleased that the defendant in this case is currently incarcerated,” Police Chief Daniel Uncapher said.
Officials said the alleged $5,000 offer was sent by text to the girl’s mother after the overnight stay. The complaint lists the location as the 100 block of Gene Drive in Allegheny Township, a residential area in Westmoreland County. Investigators said they documented the air-mattress sleeping arrangement described by the victim and collected the phone records as evidence. Police say they are not aware of any additional victims but left that question open pending further review of devices. The department noted that the defendant’s prior cases, including assault and harassment charges in an unrelated matter, were flagged during background checks but are separate from the new allegations.
Magee was booked into the Westmoreland County Prison and faces charges that include aggravated indecent assault, attempted aggravated indecent assault, endangering the welfare of children, corruption of minors, indecent assault of a victim younger than 13, trafficking in individuals and interference with custody. He was ordered held without bail. The district attorney’s office said its child-abuse unit is coordinating with township detectives on interviews, digital forensics and victim services. Authorities said names of additional family members are being withheld to protect the child’s privacy. Police did not release a precise timeline for when the text message was sent, beyond placing it after the overnight stay.
Allegheny Township sits about 30 miles northeast of Pittsburgh and is policed by a small department that draws on county resources for complex cases. In 2024 and 2025, regional prosecutors emphasized phone-based evidence in several child-exploitation prosecutions, highlighting how text messages, photos and social media posts often drive charging decisions. In this case, investigators obtained a warrant to search Magee’s device, which they say yielded images and videos of the child. The district attorney’s public bulletin listed the incident as sexual assault and recorded the case address, date and status, a step that typically precedes a formal docketing in county court records after a preliminary arraignment.
Procedurally, the case now moves into the magisterial district court system. A preliminary hearing is expected within weeks, where prosecutors outline basic evidence and a judge decides which charges advance to county court. Defense counsel may seek a bail review given the initial no-bail commitment, though judges often keep defendants held in custody in cases alleging serious child sex offenses. Additional steps include forensic extractions of devices, review of any cloud backups and interviews with the mother, the child and any potential witnesses who were in contact with the family around the time of the alleged assault. If new evidence is found, counts can be amended before or after the hearing.
Outside formal proceedings, victim advocates typically provide safety planning and counseling referrals for families. Township officers often coordinate with the county’s child-advocacy center to conduct recorded forensic interviews with minors in a child-friendly setting. Police said any further public updates would come after court filings and as lab work on the seized phone is completed. The district attorney’s office emphasized that all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court and asked residents to avoid sharing unverified claims on social media while the case is pending.
As of Sunday evening, Magee remained jailed in Westmoreland County with no bail set, according to police. A preliminary hearing date had not been listed publicly. Investigators said the next milestone will be the completion of forensic downloads of the suspect’s phone and the scheduling of interviews through the child-advocacy center.
Author note: Last updated January 18, 2026.