A Palmerton man was sentenced to a long state prison term on Tuesday on sexual assault charges.

Stephen Ruger, 56, was sentenced by Judge Joseph J. Matika to serve five to 10 years in a state correctional institution on a charge of statutory sexual assault.

He previously pleaded guilty to the charge.

Ruger was originally charged with two counts each of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, and indecent assault; and one count each of statutory sexual assault, voluntary deviate sexual intercourse, corruption of minors, and indecent assault. In a plea deal all the other charges were dropped except the statutory sexual assault count.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by Detective Kevin Buck of the Palmerton police the case against Ruger began on June 29, 2020, when a 14-year-old girl reported to police that she had been sexually assaulted several times by the defendant. The victim said this occurred numerous times from April through the end of June several times against her will.

On July 13, the victim was interviewed at the Children’s Advocacy Center when she disclosed that the first time this occurred, she was sitting on a couch at Ruger’s home and was holding a bunny he had purchased for her.

The victim said that in mid-May, things began to be different, as Ruger was under the influence of methamphetamine. She said that Ruger would make her perform sexual acts on him, and if she would say no or refuse to do it, he would threaten to kill her as well as threaten to kill her dog. He would also strike her in the face.

Buck contacted Ruger and set up interviews with him, but Ruger failed to show for each one, calling several times, stating he was fearful that as soon as he showed up he was going to jail.

During the final conversation on July 9, Ruger said he would come to the police department July 10, and again failed to show.

An investigation by the state sexual offenders assessment board determined that Ruger was not a violent sexual offender.

Ruger told Matika, “I just want to say I’m sorry.”

Assistant District Attorney Jennifer L. Rapa told the court that Ruger has had more than 40 contacts with Palmerton police, most involving alcohol abuse. She said the “bad choices” he said he made will affect the victim for the rest of her life.

Matika told Ruger that when he looks at a presentence investigation report prepared by the adult probation office on a defendant he looks at the “good, bad and ugly” of the defendant. He said in Ruger there is all bad.

Matika told Ruger, “You did things to make her trust you, then you violated that trust.”

Matika also ordered Ruger to render 100 hours of community service when paroled, submit to a sexual offenders evaluation, get both drug and alcohol and mental health evaluations and follow any recommendations for treatment, have no contact with the victim or her family, follow all provisions of Megan’s Law, supply a DNA sample, have no unsupervised contact with anyone under 18 and pay court costs of over $1,000.

Ruger was also sentenced on a driving under the influence charge to serve 90 days to five years in prison, pay a fine of $1,500 and license suspended for 18 months.

On the DUI count he was given credit for 298 days already served and paroled.

On the sexual assault count he was given credit for 528 days. He has been in the county prison since his arrest on the charges.