Credit: Montgomery County District Attorney.
Officials in Bucks County announced the arrests of 17 individuals as part of the Bensalem Police Department’s ongoing investigation into internet crimes targeting children. The months-long operation involved detectives posing online as minors to identify and apprehend suspected child predators.
One of those suspects was 53-year-old Eric Karch, of Jenkintown, a former SEPTA employee, who allegedly tried to meet a 13-year-old for a sexual encounter.
According to investigators, Karch engaged in online conversations with what he believed was a 13-year-old girl, during which he made sexually explicit remarks and requested inappropriate photographs. On Sept. 11, 2025, Karch traveled by SEPTA bus to Bensalem to meet the purported minor, where he was taken into custody by police. Officers reported that he was carrying condoms at the time of his arrest.
“Although these 17 men were unrelenting in their pursuit of children for their own deviant sexual gratification, the Bensalem Township Police Department was unrelenting in pursuing them, and my office will be unrelenting in their prosecution,” said Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn. “We are proud to stand with Bensalem Township in this endeavor and grateful for their unwavering commitment to the cause. There is no more worthy cause than protecting our children. Because of efforts like these, Bucks County is leading the state in arrests and prosecutions of Internet Crimes Against Children.”
The arrests were announced during an Oct. 14, 2025 press conference attended by District Attorney Schorn, Bensalem Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo, and Director of Public Safety William McVey.
Charges and Arrests
Charged with soliciting sex and traveling for sex with a minor:
Anthony Dillard, 49, of West Chester
David Sheregi, 31, of Bethlehem
Eric Karch, 53, of Jenkintown
Warren Batz, 38, of Slatington
Ali Memis, 64, of Levittown
Oscar Castillo-Peralta, 53, of Mays Landing, NJ
Charged with soliciting sex from a minor:
Steven Patras, 65, of Hainesport, NJ
Ryan Fisher, 26, of Womelsdorf
Ian Evans, 35, of Philadelphia
John Blaskowski, 56, of Frederick, MD
George Shetzline, 54, of Bristol
Charged with possession or distribution of child pornography:
Joseph Ibbetson, 43, of Bensalem
John Breslin, 42, of Bensalem
Kyle Binder, 30, of Warminster
Dennis Realley, 74, of Bensalem
Terrel Roane, 22, of Bensalem
Matthew Wolff, 34, of Bensalem
Authorities said the investigation remains active, with additional arrests possible as digital evidence is processed.
