West Scranton man charged with sexually assaulting 8-year-old girl
Jul. 29—City police charged a North Scranton man Friday with sexually assaulting a girl in 2015 or 2016, when she was 8 years old.
Austin Fox, 28, 1422 N. Rebecca Ave., was held in Lackawanna County Prison on $200,000 bail after his arraignment before Magisterial District Judge Kipp Adcock on child rape and other offenses.
His arrest followed an investigation that began after Scranton detectives received a referral earlier this month regarding a 14-year-old who alleged she had been assaulted by Fox.
The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual assault.
The girl, who detailed and described the assault in a pair of forensic interviews, said it happened at a North Scranton home when she was about 8, detectives said in the arrest affidavit.
The girl said there were other people at the residence at the time, and Fox used a blanket to conceal what he was doing, according to the affidavit.
When initially questioned July 20, Fox said he had no idea why police would want to talk with him and insisted he was never alone with the victim, detectives said.
After returning to police headquarters on his own the next day, Fox told a detective that if he assaulted the girl he did not remember it but eventually admitted having inappropriate contact with her, the affidavit said.
Detectives charged Fox with rape of a child, unlawful contact with a minor, aggravated indecent assault, sexual assault and indecent assault of a person less than 13.
His preliminary hearing was scheduled 11 a.m. Aug. 8.
Contact the writer: dsingleton@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9132
