Man accused of molesting teen
May 31, 2007
Adapted from the Express-Times
A teenage girl testified that a 41-year-old city man pulled her into his house and molested her while soliciting her for sex.
The teen, who was 17 at the time of the incident, said the man forced her onto his bed. She said he groped her while asking, "Oh mommy how much money for sex?"
Trying to get away, the teen said she slapped him in the face and punched him in the groin and escaped to her cousin's house where she called the police.
The teen said the man forced her into the house by grabbing her arm as she walked by and led her into an upstairs bedroom. The teen was on her way to a friend's house when she walked by, she said.
The teen said she did not have previous encounters with the man and only knew him by his street name, Ponytail.
He was charged with unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, promoting prostitution, indecent assault, luring a child into a structure and interfering with custody of children. The judge found sufficient evidence for the man to stand trial.
The county assistant district attorney withdrew a simple assault charge. She said after hearing the victim's testimony there was not enough evidence to support the charge.
The defense attorney urged the judge to dismiss the unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, and interfering with custody charges, saying that the encounter was only a brief one.
The teen testified that she was inside the house only for several minutes before she escaped.
The man was charged in 2004 with identity theft and tampering with records. Police said that he was working with a fake social security number. |
