ORWIGSBURG - The teenage girl allegedly sexually assaulted by a current Pine Grove Borough Council candidate testified Friday that communication between them started when she was 13 years old.
"It turned into sexual things," she said at the preliminary hearing for Robert L. Wolfe, 43, of Pine Grove. "He started telling me about some of his fantasies. We started talking about having sex."
Their contact eventually resulted in Pine Grove police charging Wolfe with aggravated indecent assault, corruption of minors, unlawful contact with minor-sexual offenses, sexual abuse of children-child pornography and indecent assault.
After a 40-minute preliminary hearing at which the girl was the only witness, Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier ordered all charges against Wolfe held for the county court. Ferrier allowed Wolfe to remain free on $25,000 unsecured bail.
Pine Grove police allege Wolfe had unlawful sexual contact with the girl, who is now 16, at North End Fire Company in the borough. Police also allege Wolfe, who works on the custodial staff at Pine Grove Area High School, and the girl met several other times, exchanged pictures and talked in a sexual manner.
The girl remained calm as she testified about what she and Wolfe did, describing how their contact became intimate at a Wings and Things Night at the firehouse.
"It was pretty soon after we got out of school," she said.
Wolfe, who said nothing during the hearing, bowed his head as the girl told of how they touched each other in a secluded part of the building.
After the sexual encounter, she sent Wolfe sexually suggestive pictures of herself on her iPod.
"Why did you send him those pictures?" Assistant District Attorney Jennifer N. Lehman asked the girl.
"He had asked for them," she said.
She said they met on other occasions but no other sexual contact occurred.
Under cross-examination by Wolfe's lawyer, Assistant Public Defender Lora J. McDonald, the girl said Wolfe never threatened her and she does not recall the specific discussions before the sexual activity occurred.
Lehman and McDonald each declined to talk about the case after the hearing.
Ferrier presided over Wolfe's preliminary hearing because Magisterial District Judge Carol A. Pankake, Tremont, in whose district Pine Grove is located, is related to the defendant.
Wolfe remains on the ballot as one of the Republican candidates for borough council in the Nov. 5 General Election. Wolfe has until Aug. 12 to send the paperwork needed to take his name off the ballot to the county Election Bureau. Defendant: Robert L. Wolfe
Age: 43
Residence: Pine Grove
Charges: Aggravated indecent assault, corruption of minors, unlawful contact with minor-sexual offenses, sexual abuse of children-child pornography and indecent assault