A county judge rejected a request for a probation period for a Carbon County man and sentenced him to a prison term on a charge of indecent assault.

Judge Joseph J. Matika, noting the facts of the case and its lengthy history and noting the victim was 8 at the time of the incidents, said a probation sentence was not warranted in the case, and sentenced Eric Martin Eidem, 47, of Lehighton, to serve 30 days to 23 months in the county prison on the charge. Eidem previously entered a nolo contendere, meaning “I will not contest it,” plea to the charge.

The case dates back to 2017 and there were 19 continuances in the case. In exchange for the plea, the district attorney’s office dropped felony counts of rape of a child, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, corruption of a minor and unlawful contact with a minor, sexual offenses.

Defense attorney Sara Hart Charette said the case had a long history because of long periods of negotiation.

She claimed the charges grew out of a strained relationship Eidem had with his then wife. She claimed the ex-wife made many allegations against her client, but all proved to be false.

She asked for a probation sentence, noting that the commonwealth, in the plea agreement, did not oppose a probationary term. Matika rejected that request.

At the plea hearing Matika asked Assistant District Attorney Joseph D. Perilli why all the felony counts were dropped in the case.

At that time Perilli said there were a lot of issues in the case concerning the memory of the child victim.

He said there was no physical evidence in the case, only the testimony of the victim, again mentioning the memory of the child being a problem. He added that the family of the victim agreed to the plea deal.

The victim was not present at the sentencing proceeding.

Case history

According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by trooper Brian Shandra of the Lehighton state police:

On Jan. 17, 2017, the girl was interviewed at the Scranton Children’s Advocacy Center.

During the interview, the girl said that Eidem raped her when she was 8 years old. The victim said that while her mother was at work, she was lying in her bed reading a book when she heard her door creak open, and Eidem walked in and sexually assaulted her.

Matika also ordered Eidem to render 100 hours of community service, submit to a sexual offenders evaluation and follow any recommendations, have no contact with the victim, supply a DNA sample, make restitution to the state department of health for $3,484.85 provided in aid to the victim, pay court costs of over $1,000 and pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole.

He will begin the jail term at 7 p.m. on Jan. 14, 2022. He was granted work-release privileges.