CURWENSVILLE – A Tyrone man has been accused of having inappropriate sexual contact with a teenage girl at the Curwensville Dam in June.
Dante M. Prigg, 22, has been charged by Trooper Matthew Peacock of the Clearfield-based state police with felony involuntary deviate sexual intercourse/person less than 16 years, statutory sexual assault/4-8 years older, aggravated indecent assault/complainant less than 16 years, corruption of minors/defendant age 18 or above and disseminate explicit sexual material minor.
Prigg was arraigned on the charges Thursday morning before Magisterial District Judge Mike Morris. Unable to post $25,000 bail, he was lodged in the Clearfield County Jail; he is currently scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday during centralized court at the jail.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred June 24 at the Curwensville Dam in Pike Township, according to the affidavit of probable cause that was filed with Morris’ office.
During an interview at the Child Advocacy Center of Clearfield County on July 2, a 15-year-old girl said she’d met Prigg a week earlier at the dam. They exchanged contact information, and when asked about her age, she said she was almost 16.
Later that night, she said Prigg messaged her and they arranged to meet up again the next day, June 24. She said Prigg also sent her a nude photo of himself, but it had been deleted from her phone.
When they met at the dam, she got into Prigg’s car and he allegedly had inappropriate sexual contact with her.
The trooper was able to recover multiple messages, which incriminated Prigg, on the girl’s iPod. In one message, he asked: “So, if we did do anything like you wouldn’t try and get me caught up or nothing, would you?”
On Wednesday, Aug. 14, Prigg was interviewed by state police and reportedly admitted to having inappropriate sexual contact with the girl despite knowing she was underage.
