Man waives hearing on indecent assault charges

A Rouseville man charged with sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl in 2013 waived his preliminary hearing this week in Venango County Central Court.

Charles Robert Delp Jr., 49, of 423 Main St. in Rouseville, is charged with misdemeanor counts of indecent assault of a person less than 13 years of age and indecent assault of a person less than 16 years of age.

In a criminal complaint filed with district judge Andrew Fish, Franklin state police reported they received a report of suspected child abuse on Dec. 17, 2014. That report named Delp in an allegation made by the then 9-year-old girl.

A criminal investigator interviewed the girl’s mother, who said on Dec. 14, 2014 the girl told her mother Delp sexually abused her when she was 8 years old. The girl used dolls to demonstrate where the defendant touched her in her private area, the complaint said.

On Dec. 18, 2014, a forensic interview was conducted at the Venango County Children and Youth Services office. The girl said Delp pulled down her pajamas and touched her private part inside her underwear. She said it only happened one time, the complaint said.

Delp was interviewed the same day and denied touching the girl’s private area and said he would never sexually abuse her, the complaint said.

Delp was submitted to a polygraph test on Jan. 30, 2015. He admitted his hand slipped inside her pajamas by accident when he was asked if he had skin-to-skin contact with her private area. Delp said it only happened one time.

The case is being prosecuted by assistant district attorney Justin Fleeger, and attorney Wayne Hundertmark is representing Delp.