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Man facing over 200 counts of sexual assault of teen girl

A 38-year-old Summit Hill man is locked up in the Carbon County Correctional Facility, facing over 200 counts related to the sexual assault of a teen girl. The charges also accuse the man of threatening to kill the teen and himself if she told anyone about the incidents.

John P. Klingaman, of East Hazard Street, was first arraigned Wednesday before District Judge Casimir T. Kosciolek in Lansford for offenses he’s accused of committing in Summit Hill, then by District Judge Edward Lewis of Jim Thorpe for acts police charge him with committing in Lehighton.Each of the district judges ordered him held in lieu of $200,000 cash bail.Summit Hill Chief of Police Joseph J. Fittos filed 168 counts against Klingaman and Lehighton Detective Scott T. Preboznyak filed an additional 58 counts.Charges in Summit Hill are 40 counts of statutory sexual assault with the person being under age 16, 40 counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse of an individual less than 16 years old, 40 counts of aggravated sexual assault of an individual under age 16, two counts of corruption of minors, 40 counts of indecent assault with a minor,and four counts of terroristic threats.The Lehighton charges are 12 counts of indecent assault of a person less than 16 years of age, 12 counts of corruption of a minor, 12 counts of aggravated indecent assault, 11 counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse of an individual under age 16, and 11 counts of statutory sexual assault of an individual.The charges stem from incidents which police say occurred between Sept. 1, 2014, and Dec. 3, 2015.Police say that on at least two occasions, in September and October 2015, Klingaman had the teen smoke methamphetamine and then committed sexual acts.Fittos said he received the report of the offenses on Jan. 28 and then interviewed the victim. He wrote in the affidavit that the youth told him that Klingaman had sexual relations with her on a daily basis.“He told her at least four times that if she told anyone, he would kill her and then himself,” Fittos wrote in the affidavit.Fittos said in the affidavit, “The defendant and the youth would also smoke marijuana which the defendant gave the money to the youth to purchase the drug.”During his arraignment, Klingaman was asked if he had prior offenses. He said only simple assault arrests.He was also asked if he had a driver’s license, to which he responded to Kosciolek, “yes.”Fittos interjected that the driver’s license was suspended.“I didn’t know that,” Klingaman said.“Now you do,” said Fittos.Klingaman seemed shocked at the high amount of bail, stating he had things that he must do.One of the conditions of bail, should he be able to post it, is that he cannot have any contact with the victim.

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