State College man accused of kidnapping headed to jail after pleading guilty to lesser charge

A State College man was sentenced Monday to at least three months in jail for harassment after a woman told police he kidnapped her for about a day.

Richard C. Young, 54, was sentenced by Somerset County Judge Scott Bittner to a maximum of a year in jail, Somerset County District Attorney Molly Metzgar told the Centre Daily Times.

He was taken into custody after the hearing and received credit for 12 days served, she said.

Young was arrested in November 2022 after the woman told state police at Somerset that he “tricked” her and drove her away from the State College area.

During the ride to Somerset County, the woman said Young threatened to harm her children and would not allow her to use her cellphone unless he “knew what she was doing on it,” police wrote in an affidavit of probable cause.

She escaped after Young stopped in a wooded area to sleep, police wrote. Troopers found her standing alongside a dirt road, police wrote.

Young pleaded guilty in January to a misdemeanor count of harassment. He had been charged with a felony count of kidnapping and a misdemeanor count of simple assault, but those charges were dismissed at his preliminary hearing.

Five other charges, including misdemeanor counts of false imprisonment and terroristic threats, were dropped. Metzgar said “substantial credibility issues” arose after charges were filed.

Among other issues, the woman’s statements were inconsistent, Metzgar said. A message was left Monday with Somerset County Chief Public Defender Tiffany Stanley.