Hempfield man pleads guilty to incident with teen babysitters

Rich Cholodofsky, Tribune-Review, Greensburg, Pa.
·1 min read

Oct. 28—A Hempfield man was ordered Friday to serve two years on probation in connection with an incident in 2018 that prompted two teenage babysitters to flee his home.

Gregory Bittner, 40, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of corruption of a minor and simple assault after two 15-year-old girls claimed he assaulted them while they were babysitting three children.

According to court records, the girls said Bittner returned home visibly drunk and hugged them, held them down and attempted to kiss them as they sat on a couch in his basement.

The girls told police they hid from Bittner in a bedroom and were able to flee to a nearby gas station, where they called a parent for help, authorities said.

Bittner was found the next morning passed out in a closet, according to court records.

As part of the plea deal approved by Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Mears, prosecutors dismissed felony charges of unlawful restraint as well as indecent assault and strangulation offenses.

Mears also barred Bittner from consuming alcohol while on probation.

Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Rich by email at rcholodofsky@triblive.com or via Twitter .