A state constable accused of abusing his position for sex was in court this week.

George T. Bottomley Jr. had a preliminary hearing on charges including abuse of the legal process, and promoting prostitution.Bottomley is accused of using his position as an elected official to solicit sex from at least seven women from the Lansford area. In some of the cases, which date back to 2010, he allegedly told the women that they could be arrested on a warrant if they did not have sex with him.Bottomley has been suspended from his position since October. He was charged in April.According to published reports, on Tuesday, Bottomley's attorney asked a district judge to dismiss the charges against his client. Judge Eric Schrantz denied the motion, paving the way for the charges to go to county court.As an elected state constable, Bottomley routinely served warrants and other court papers from the magisterial district court in Lansford.At least seven women from the Lansford area have come forward and said that Bottomley offered to pay them money to help cover court costs. In exchange, they said he propositioned them for sex.In several of the cases, Bottomley knowingly did not execute arrest warrants on the women while he was exchanging text messages offering to "help" them.Three of his alleged victims testified in court on Tuesday, according to published reports.One woman told police that she had sex with Bottomley not because of the money that he promised her, but because she feared that he would arrest her, and separate her from her young child.Police executed a search warrant at Bottomley's home on West Bertsch Street and found that Bottomley had saved several cellphone numbers and email addresses linked to the alleged victims.They also found a makeshift bed in the basement of the home, which is where at least two victims told police that he took them to have sexual encounters.Bottomley did not testify on Tuesday. Police said he told them that he did not pay the women for sex, but admitted to having some of them at his residence and paying them for "information."Bottomley is currently free on 10 percent of $25,000 bail. A formal arraignment on the charges has not been scheduled.