Chesco man accused of sex abuse of 3 boys, 2 of them his nephews

A Chester County man who runs a philanthropic foundation - and whose late grandfather was a congressman - has been accused of sexually molesting three boys.

John Charles Ware, 45, of Oxford, faces more than 200 counts, including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault and sexual abuse of children, including pornography-related offenses.

Ware is the grandson of the late John H. Ware III, who served in the U.S. House and in the state Senate. He runs the Oxford Area Foundation and also serves on the board of directors of the Oxford Educational Foundation, according to its Web site.

Defense attorney Christian Hoey said at a bail hearing yesterday that two of the boys Ware is accused of abusing are his nephews and are brothers, and the third is a cousin of the brothers.

Ware, dressed in a white shirt and purple shorts, was led handcuffed into Chester County Common Pleas Court. After the hearing, Judge Phyllis R. Streitel lowered his bail from $5 million to $1.3 million. Ware has to post the full amount to be released.

The judge said she was "shocked" by the original bail, and said Ware has no prior record. But she added that she is concerned he could leave the state.

Deputy District Attorney Elizabeth Pitts told the judge that one of the victims was 13- to 16-years-old when he was sexually abused by Ware from 2005 to 2008. She said the 10 counts of involuntary deviate sexual assault all relate to this victim. Outside court, she said Ware allegedly photographed and possessed pornographic images of the teen. Pitts also told the judge that Ware indecently assaulted and exposed himself to the two other victims, both age 13, in July.

After the hearing, Hoey said the U.S. Attorney's Office could take over the case because of the pornography allegations and because Ware allegedly traveled overseas with and molested the one boy in the 2005-to-2008 case.

Hoey said his client plans to waive his preliminary hearing. The two brothers, sons of Ware's sister, live in Texas, he said. The third boy lives in Oxford.

According to the Pennsylvania State Police, the alleged abuses occurred at a home Ware owns or owned on Christine Road in Nottingham and at his home on Saginaw Road in Oxford.

Hoey said his client tried to commit suicide after the allegations arose in July. Ware became an inpatient at Brandywine Hospital in Coatesville, then at Johns Hopkins in Maryland, he said. He said his client had been seeing two psychiatrists, one in this state, and one at Johns Hopkins.

Ware surrendered Wednesday.

The judge said that if Ware is able to make bail, he would be placed on electronically monitored house confinement.