An Oil City man accused of inappropriately touching a 5-year-old girl was held for court Wednesday.
Dusty Perry, 21, appeared before district judge Patrick Lowrey for the preliminary hearing in Venango County Central Court.
Perry was charged in October by Franklin state police with a felony count of aggravated indecent assault.
District attorney Shawn White opened Wednesday’s hearing by presenting the transcript of a forensic interview completed with the 5-year-old girl by Venango County Children and Youth Services in July.
In the transcript, the girl talks about Perry touching her in her room while at her home on Allegheny Avenue.
Trooper Paul Swatzler was called in to testify by White, and Swatzler said he first made contact with Perry on Aug. 2, but he denied any wrongdoing.
Swatzler said he interviewed Perry again on Aug. 30, and Perry said he did touch the girl out of curiosity.
Perry’s defense counsel, attorney Neil Rothschild, did not provide any argument.
Lowrey ruled that the charge of aggravated indecent assault will be bound over for further proceedings in the Court of Common Pleas.
Perry remains in the Venango County jail on $50,000 bail.
