CATAWISSA - A borough man was charged by Locust Township Police with sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl two years ago and then threatening the girl to keep quiet.
Locust Township Police charged Adam R. Cherwinski with aggravated sexual assault, intimidation of a witness and other crimes following the investigation into the incidents that started in December 2010.
According to a court document filed by Patrolman Nicholas Thorpe, the department received a fax in April from Columbia County Children and Youth for a sexual assault allegation against Cherwinski. Patrolman Jarrod Rider attended an interview with the victim at the Child Advocacy Center in Northumberland.
While speaking with a forensic interviewer, the victim said that two years ago, when she was 13, Cherwinski allegedly would ask to tuck her into bed and tell her a bedtime story, and then he would touch her inappropriately.
Cherwinski then told the victim to not tell anyone and threatened her. According to the victim, the abuse occurred about five or six times.
The victim also told police Cherwinski pushed her head into the dashboard and yelled at her while driving her to a counseling session earlier this year.
One day following the interview, the victim and her mother spoke with Rider at the police department, detailing the incidents. The victim told Rider Cherwinski said no one would believe her.
Cherwinski was arraigned May 24 before Magisterial District Judge Richard W. Knecht, of Berwick.
Cherwinski was charged with aggravated indecent assault, felony counts of aggravated indecent assault without consent, aggravated indecent assault to a person under 16, intimidation of witnesses or victims and endangering the welfare of a child; misdemeanor counts of indecent assault without the consent of another person and indecent assault of a person less than 16 years of age and the actor older by four years or more, and a summary count of harassment.
Cherwinski was initially incarcerated in Columbia County Prison, but was later released on $50,000 cash bail. He was scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Monday, June 10, before Magisterial District Judge Craig W. Long, of Catawissa. That hearing, however, could be rescheduled because the state attorney general's office may take over prosecution of the case, due to a conflict of interest with Columbia County District Attorney Thomas Leipold, according to Breach.