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Palmerton woman accused of sexual assault on child headed for trial

A Palmerton woman charged with the sexual assault of a child will have her case heard in Carbon County Court.

Kayla Ashner, 19, of 1680 Little Gap Rd., waived her right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday before District Judge Bruce Appleton of Palmerton.As a result, Ashner will have a pretrial conference at 9 a.m. April 21 before the Carbon County Court of Common Pleas. She is free in lieu of $50,000, 10 percent bail.Ashner faces counts of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, statutory sexual assault, indecent assault, and corruption of minors.According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by trooper Nicolas De La Iglesia from Pennsylvania State Police at Lehighton:The victim, a juvenile male, was 12 years old during the commission of these crimes, while Ashner was 19, according to the affidavit. Ashner was aware of the victim's age, the affidavit says.On Feb. 3, the victim was interviewed at PSP Lehighton and related that he and Ashner engaged in a sexual relationship from Jan. 8 through Feb. 2. During this consensual sexual relationship, they had sex about 11 to 12 times, the victim said.The victim also said he and Ashner were dating, and that all of the sexual activities occurred in his family barn. He said the sexual activities would occur between the hours of 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.On Feb. 3, De La Iglesia read Ashner her Miranda Warnings, at which point she acknowledged these warnings both verbally and in writing on a custodial written statement form.Ashner said that she was dating the victim since around the beginning of January. She said that the victim's parents approached her at that time, and told her to stay away from their son because of their age difference.She further said that she knew it was wrong, but had oral and vaginal sex with the victim two times.Ashner provided a written statement relating the above synopsis.

TERRY AHNER/TIMES NEWS Kayla Ashner of Palmerton is escorted to her preliminary hearing Wednesday before District Judge Bruce Appleton of Palmerton. Ashner has been charged with the sexual assault of a child. She waived her right to a preliminary hearing, and will have her case heard next month before the Carbon County Court of Common Pleas.