A Clarendon man incarcerated in state prison in Houtzdale, Pa., was held for further court proceedings on Tuesday in Warren County for allegedly sexually assaulting a 12-year-old boy on multiple occasions.
Allen Richard Thomas was charged in August with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child with serious bodily injury, aggravated indecent assault, statutory sexual assault, simple assault, indecent assault, indecent exposure and harassment after allegedly assaulting the boy in his apartment and the boy's apartment in Clarendon between Jan. 1, 2006 and July 1, 2008 while babysitting him.
During Central Court proceedings before District Magistrate Arthur Zerbe, the boy, who lives out of the area now, testified that he stayed with Thomas while his father worked during the day.
The boy and his father lived in a downstairs apartment, while Thomas lived in an apartment above them.
The boy testified that Thomas smoked marijuana from a pipe in front of him, then gave him some before assaulting him. He said this happened on five occasions while his father was at work.
Rhonda Henderson, a nationally certified forensics nurse for St. Vincent's Health Center in Erie, who specializes in sexual assault and sexual abuse cases, testified that she examined the boy for sexual assault evidence in April 2009 after he was brought in by his mother. She concluded that he was assaulted more than one time due to the number of injuries.
Thomas' attorney, public defender John Paroccini, asked Henderson if she could determine when the injuries took place.
"Everyone heals at a different rate," Henderson said.
"Could these have taken place years earlier?" Paroccini asked.
"Yes," Henderson said.
Warren County District Attorney Ross McKiernan asked Henderson if the boy identified his alleged assailant during the examination.
"Yes, he did," Henderson said. "He said it was a person living with his father. He initially said 'Al', then he said 'Allen,' 'Allen Thomas.'"
Upon hearing testimony, Zerbe stated there was enough evidence to hold Thomas for further proceedings.
After the hearing, McKiernan said that, if found guilty, Thomas is facing several decades of mandatory prison time.
"Several of those charges are ten years, mandatory," McKiernan said. "I don't know what he'll get total, but he's looking at a lot of time. They can be stacked."