MILLVILLE - A young woman who served as a camp counselor on the grounds of Camp Victory in Greenwood Township, Columbia County, faces a hearing today on charges that she sexually assaulted a 16-year-old hearing-impaired girl there in 2011.
The (Bloomsburg) Press Enterprise identified the defendant as Karisa Ariel Zapotocky, 20, who is also hearing impaired. She is charged with aggravated indecent assault, institutional sexual assault and indecent assault.
According to the Press Enterprise, Zapotocky is accused of pulling the hearing-impaired girl from her bunk at 3 a.m., and then taking her to the camp's shower house, where Zapotocky allegedly sexually assaulted the girl.
The newspaper said court papers indicate Zapotocky, who was herself once a camper at Camp Hero, was in charge of a group of children ages 7 to 9 at Camp Hero from July 31 to Aug. 4, 2011. Camp Hero, which is held for deaf and hearing-impaired children, is affiliated with Bloomsburg University.
According to The Press Enterprise, Zapotocky allegedly washed girls 7 to 9 in the showers that week, but she was not supposed to be in that area and her presence in the showers at that time violated camp policy. Police said there is no indication Zapotocky's shower visits with the younger girls involved any sexual content.
The teenage assault victim was taken to the hospital and police were notified, the newspaper reported. Zapotocky reportedly told a fellow counselor she "made out with a camper" and requested that the counselor not tell anyone about it. However, the other counselor notified officials at the camp.
According to the newspaper report, Zapotocky first denied the allegations, then claimed the sexual encounter was consensual.