A Tamaqua man is facing charges in an indecent assault case after the victim’s father identified him from the Megan’s Law registry.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by Trooper Corey Chapin of the Pennsylvania State Police - Fogelsville barracks, Blaine Arner is in custody in Schuylkill County for stealing a gun from his sister’s home in West Penn Township.

State police say at 4:40 p.m. March 11, they responded to the 7300 block of Lincoln Court in Lynn Township for the report of an indecent exposure.

Troopers learned that a balding white man with a white beard exposed himself to a 9-year-old girl.

The man, Arner, 62, was reported to be driving a blue pickup, which surveillance identified as a blue Dodge Ram with two stickers located in the rear of the vehicle.

Police said the girl was walking her two dogs with her sister and two friends when she saw the blue truck, which parked on the side of the road on Adams Street in Lynn Township.

The girl said an older white man with a white beard and balding head spoke to the girl and mentioned she had a nice dog. He then asked the victim if she would like to see his, so the victim approached the vehicle, at which time the man opened the driver side while exposing himself.

The victim reported that the man wasn’t wearing pants or underwear, and she then ran from the scene with her friends and the truck drove away.

The victim’s father reported the girl identified that Arner’s Megan’s Law photo and registered vehicle matched the suspect description.

At 11:50 p.m. that day troopers arrived at Arner’s residence in the 800 block of Penn Drive in West Penn Township. Troopers observed a blue Dodge Ram parked in the driveway to the residence on the left side of the home.

The registration was affixed, and the vehicle possessed a white-colored, oval-shaped sticker with black lettering “BB” on the rear of it. Also observed, off centered to the right and below the Dodge emblem, was a dirt ring where a larger circle magnet/sticker used to be.

Troopers attempted to contact the homeowner, but received no response.

At 12:50 p.m. March 13, Chapin spoke with Arner via phone and explained that he was a suspect in a criminal case that occurred in Lehigh County, and requested Arner come to the station and speak with him. Arner said that he would call him back and possibly meet with him on March 15.

On March 13, West Penn Township Police responded to a home in the 800 block of Penn Drive and spoke with Arner’s sister who said Arner had stolen her firearm. Police arrested Arner, who had the gun in his vehicle. Arner told police that he intended to kill himself.

Arner’s sister later reported that Arner told her he was the person who exposed himself to the 9-year-old girl in Lynn Township on March 11.

Arner’s residence is located directly next door, to his sister’s. She told police Arner then handed his sister a copy of the March 11 Times News newspaper with an article about the incident and told her “This is me.”

For stealing the gun from his sister’s home, Arner was committed to the Schuylkill County Prison in lieu of $75,000 monetary bail on charges of possession of firearm prohibited, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, and firearms not to be carried without license.

He has not been arraigned yet on the Lynn Township charges of luring a child into a vehicle, indecent exposure and open lewdness.