CLEARFIELD, Pa. — An Osceola Mills man will stand trial for allegedly sexually assaulting a 2-year-old child.
State police charged Austin Lee Reams, 23, with felony counts of aggravated indecent assault of a child, indecent assault of a person less than 13 years old, and corruption of minors, as well as misdemeanor indecent exposure.
Following a preliminary hearing Wednesday during centralized court, District Judge David Meholick ruled that all charges be sent to the Court of Common Pleas for further disposition. Reams is free on $100,000 bail.
According to the criminal complaint, the mother took the child to Mount Nittany Medical Center for evaluation. She told authorities the child and her brother spent several hours with Reams on April 4. The mother said that after the children returned, Reams told her he had bathed them, which she described as abnormal for him. The victim, who was potty trained, began wetting the bed and complaining of pain, according to the complaint. The mother told police the girl would wake up screaming at night.
The mother also reported that Reams had previously made inappropriate comments about the child. She specified that Reams’ girlfriend is usually present when he watches the children, but she was away that weekend. On April 7, the boy told his mother that his sister was nude in the bathtub with Reams. When the mother asked the girl about her pain, the child reportedly said Reams had “poked me there.”
A pediatrician noted redness and concerned about possible assault, referred the girl to Mount Nittany Medical Center. A doctor there concluded there was “a concern for inappropriate touching/sexual assault,” according to the affidavit. During an interview at the Clearfield County Child Advocacy Center, the girl used a drawing of a female child to identify where she was touched. She allegedly said, “He poked me there,” and stated that Reams “takes his clothes off.” She told interviewers she did not feel safe with him.
Reams declined a formal interview after speaking with his attorney.
