TAMAQUA - Prosecutors on Tuesday withdrew the most serious charge against an Oklahoma man charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl last month.
The accused, Alexander G. Leshko, 40, of the 200 block of Fir Avenue, Elgin, then waived the remaining offenses for Schuylkill County Court.
Leshko appeared before Magisterial District Judge Stephen J. Bayer, Tamaqua, on one felony charge each of rape and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, as well as six counts each of unlawful contact with a minor and sexual assault, both felony offenses, and six misdemeanor offenses each of corruption of minors, indecent assault and indecent exposure filed by state police Trooper Melissa Kyper of the Frackville station.
After consulting with the victim, Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Lehman withdrew the felony rape charge and Leshko waived the remaining offenses.
Lehman said the decision to withdraw the rape charge came after discussions with and in agreement with the teenage victim and her family.
The charges against Leshko were the result of an investigation into incidents that occurred between June 15 and 23 at a home at 234 Haddock Road in Kline Township.
Kyper said the victim reported that Leshko came into her room on numerous occasions and touched her inappropriately.
The incidents occurred when the mother of the girl was away on a family emergency, leaving her and her brothers under the care of Leshko, Kyper said.
The teen said her mother was aware of what was going on but had not reported it for fear of Leshko getting in trouble, Kyper said.
Leshko was interviewed and admitted he touched the girl on numerous occasions and also forced the teenager to touch him as well.
"Not alleged, it's true," the trooper said Leshko told her about the allegations.
In her Affidavit of Probable Cause, Kyper said Leshko said he was in the Army and was deployed to Iraq in 2005.
Upon his return, the man said he had trouble adjusting to life at home and began looking at a lot of pornography on the computer that graduated to viewing child pornography, Kyper said.
This child pornography led to strong sexual urges regarding the teen, Leshko told the trooper.
Kyper said Leshko said he was able to keep his urges under control for about two years before returning to a relative's house in Kline Township.
The trooper said that Leshko also said he admitted what he had done to his father and provided investigators with a written statement.
After the proceedings, Leshko was returned to Schuylkill County Prison, where he is being held on $50,000 bail set by Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier, Orwigsburg, at the time of his arrest on July 7.