By MARISSA DECHANT
Staff writer
The main charges against a Cooperstown man in a sexual assault case were withdrawn Wednesday in Venango County Central Court.
Kyle B. Heffern, 20, then waived his preliminary hearing on the one charge that remained against him.
The charges that were withdrawn included felony counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a minor under 16, statutory sexual assault-4-8 years older and aggravated indecent assault of a complainant who is less than 16, along with a misdemeanor charge of indecent assault of a person less than 16.
A misdemeanor count of corruption of minors was maintained, and Heffern waived his hearing on that charge.
A criminal complaint filed by Oil City police says Heffern engaged in sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old boy in Oil City during the late afternoon hours of Jan. 1. Heffern and the boy met in the downtown area of Oil City’s South Side, and Heffern then drove to the Samuel Justus Recreational Trail on Osbourne Street, and the two performed sexual acts in a wooded area off the trail, the complaint said.
Police learned the details of the incident in a video and audio recorded interview with the boy at the police station, the complaint said.
Heffern admitted in a phone call with Oil City police that he had been “physical” with the boy, according to the complaint.
Heffern remains free on $100,000 unsecured bail, according to online court documents.
