A last-minute request for a public defender resulted in a continuance for the preliminary hearing of Tamaqua’s Edward Smith on charges related to the sexual assault of a minor male.

Smith, 60, of Willing Street, was scheduled for a hearing before District Magisterial Judge Stephen Bayer on charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, unlawful contact with a minor, statutory sexual assault, indecent assault, unlawful contact with a minor, sexual abuse of children and corruption of minors.

The public defender’s office agreed to take Smith’s case, then asked for the continuance in order to properly prepare his defense. Judge Bayer agreed and rescheduled the hearing for 1 p.m. on Jan. 16.

Smith is an inmate in the Luzerne County Prison, where he was jailed earlier this year on charges related to soliciting sex from a minor male. In that case, he contacted what he thought was a 14-year-old boy, interested in “kissing, cuddling and oral sex.”

The online account he contacted was actually set up by the Child Predator Section of the Office of the Attorney General.

Smith was arrested on Sept. 20 and charged with counts of unlawful contact with a minor, criminal attempt to commit involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, criminal use of a communications facility and unlawful contact with a minor for sexual purposes, along with a misdemeanor count of criminal attempt to commit indecent assault on a minor under the age of 16.

Bail in that case was set at $250,000. Smith asked for a public defender when he was arraigned on those charges.

While investigating that case, agents discovered evidence that led to the second set of charges.

Smith admitted having a sexual relationship with a then 15-year-old male, although he told agents he thought the boy was 16.

At the time of his initial arrest, Smith was employed as a deputy coroner for the Schuylkill and Carbon County Coroners offices. He has since been fired from both those positions.