OC man waives hearing in assault, harassment cases

An Oil City man charged in connection with incidents of sexual harassment waived preliminary hearings in two cases Wednesday in Venango County Central Court.

Charges were filed in May against George Ford, 72, of 1 Sycamore St., after a woman told Oil City police he had grabbed her buttocks and her leg area without warning to try to get her into his bedroom, a criminal complaint filed through district judge Andrew Fish’s office said.

In a separate incident, another woman told police that Ford exposed himself to her on multiple occasions when she visited his apartment in the Luther Place complex.

The woman also played 33 messages during the interview which she had received from Ford, including many where Ford asks for specific sexual acts, the complaint said.

Ford was charged with indecent assault in the first case.

In the subsequent case, Ford was charged with one count each of indecent exposure and harassment.

All charges will be bound over for further proceedings.