FRACKVILLE - A man jailed for having inappropriate sexual contact with three juveniles on separate occasions waived his right Wednesday to preliminary hearings.
Shawn D. Schlauch, 20, formerly of Ashland and currently an inmate at Schuylkill County Prison, appeared before Magisterial Christina E. Hale for hearings on three complaints, one from August 2013, another from January and a third from April 1.
The first complaint, filed by Ashland police Patrolman Daniel Weikel III, charges Schlauch with two counts of indecent assault and one of harassment stemming from an incident at an Ashland home and a youth group session in August.
In the second and third complaints, Weikel charged Schlauch in each with two counts of indecent assault and one count of harassment. The complaints stem from incidents that occurred at borough homes.
After waiving his right to hearings, Schlauch was returned to prison where he is held in lieu of $15,000 straight cash bail set at the time of his arrest earlier this year.
In the April 1 incident, Weikel charged Schlauch with following a 14-year-old girl into the kitchen of a home and touching her inappropriately. Before that, Schlauch allegedly asked the girl out on a date to which she asked him if he was desperate.
At that point, Weikel reported Schlauch said to the teen "if I was desperate, I would just rape you."
In January, Weikel said Schlauch was with another girl, who is under the age of 16, at a borough home where he touched her indecently.
At that time, Schlauch laughed and told the girl that if he wanted to he would just rape her or any of her friends, Weikel said.
In August, Weikel said Schlauch touched another girl, also under the age of 16, indecently,
That girl, Weikel said, also reported she was on an outing with Schlauch and, while in a van, he was running his hand up and down her leg until she told him to stop.
Weikel said the investigation into the incidents involving Schlauch is continuing, and that additional victims may be discovered.
During Schlauch's arraignment, Hale stressed the seriousness of the charges against him.
She told Schlauch each of the indecent assault charges carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and fines of $5,000, while the harassment charges carry a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of $2,500.
"These are very serious charges," the judge said.