CLEARFIELD – A man accused of molesting an 8-year-old child had a preliminary hearing on Wednesday.
Eric Queen is charged with rape of a child, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault and indecent assault.
The alleged victim in the case testified that when she was at Queen’s residence in June he touched her vaginal area with one or more of his fingers and performed oral sex on her. She testified that the incident occurred in his bed and that she wanted a snack. She said he asked her what he was going to get, and that she said she didn’t know. She said he then had an idea, which was to “touch my privates.”
She also testified that she spilled milk in Queen’s bed, which she agreed under cross-examination would make Queen’s wife angry. Under cross she agreed that she knew Queen’s wife would be angry and wanted to get out. She also agreed that Queen scolded her and that she called her mother from a separate room. She said under direct that she was afraid that Queen would hurt her. Under cross she said that Queen never hurt her before.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, DNA evidence was lifted from the crotch area of her underwear. A buccal swab was taken from Queen, which he agreed to, and forensic analysis reportedly showed that the DNA to be specific to any paternal male related to Queen and that the chance it was Queen’s is 1-in-2,571.
Following the hearing, Queen’s attorney, Phil Masorti, asked the judge for a bail amendment. Rather than asking for a lower bail amount, Masorti asked the judge to increase it and make it unsecured; Queen’s bail was set at $50,000 and Masorti asked for $100,000. Masorti also asked that bail be supervised. He explained that his client has been cooperative in all aspects of the investigation and has a job.
First Assistant District Attorney F. Cortez “Chip” Bell III asked the judge to take into consideration the mandatory minimums Queen is facing as well as the nature of the crimes he is accused of committing in the bail argument.
Magisterial District Judge James Hawkins denied Masorti’s motion and bound all charges to the next level of court.