From staff reports

STATE COLLEGE — Conrad Carpenter, 54, of Williamsport, who was serving a state prison sentence for felony assault on a child, was found dead at the Benner state prison on Sunday. The charges stem from the alleged abuse of a child in 2016.

Carpenter was found unresponsive in his cell at 3:03 p.m. Sunday. Prison staff provided life-saving measures but Carpenter was pronounced dead by medical personnel about an hour later. The Centre County coroner hs been called to determine the exact cause of death.

Carpenter, who was serving a 48 to 96 month sentence, was charged in Lycoming County with five felonies relating to child sex assault.

Lycoming County Judge Marc Lovecchio called the sentence “totally insufficient,” but accepted Carpenter’s plea agreement to spare the child, who was 4 years old at the time of the alleged incident, from having to go through a trial. Carpenter had six previous convictions, including one in 1992 for corruption of minors. He was acquitted in 1994 of charges including rape, endangering the welfare of children and corruption of minors.