CURWENSVILLE – Curwensville’s head baseball coach has been arrested and denied bail for allegedly sexually assaulting two young boys.
Thomas P. Harzinski, 48, of Olanta has been charged with felony rape of child, sexual assault by sports official (two counts), involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with child, IDSI/person less than 16 years, sexual assault and indecent assault (three counts), as well as misdemeanor indecent assault/person less than 13 years (three counts) and indecent assault/person less than 16 years (four counts).
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Clearfield state police received a report of child sexual assaults that had occurred in a Pittsburgh hotel room, a Williamsport campground and Harzinski’s Knox Township residence.
In forensic Child Advocacy Center interviews March 20, one of the victims said Harzinski had touched him inappropriately four times last year. The incidents occurred at Harzinski’s residence.
The first time the victim said he was allowed to play a sports game on Harzinski’s phone when Harzinski instructed him to remove his pants and assaulted him.
Allegedly Harzinski told him to “just let it happen. It’s fine. No one will ever know.”
He described three other assaults and how Harzinski purchased baseball cards for him, then commented about how he “owed him big time.”
The victim said Harzinski wanted to buy him other items, but he declined because he didn’t want to owe Harzinski anything.
Another victim said Harzinski assaulted him four to six times including when they traveled to a Pittsburgh Pirates game and to the Little League World Series in Williamsport.
The victim said he didn’t want the sexual contact, but Harzinski made him because Harzinski “had bought him all this stuff” and taken him places
Harzinski allegedly admitted to committing the assaults in an interview with state police. Currently he’s scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing March 29.
