A Virginia man and a Lehighton resident entered guilty pleas in Carbon County court on Monday in sexual assault related cases.

Judge Joseph J. Matika accepted the pleas

Indecent assault

Thomas David Place, 35, of Alexandria, pleaded to indecent assault for an incident on June 28, 2020, at the Woods Campground near Lehighton.

State police said that an employee of a cable company was at the campground installing cable service at a cabin where Place was staying when the defendant made sexual advances toward the victim.

Sentencing was deferred because the charge falls under the provisions of Megan’s Law. Place will be evaluation by the state sexual offenders assessment board to determine if he is a sexual violent predator.

Added charge

Charles H. Kistler Jr., 42, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of corruption of a minor for an incident on Oct. 3, 2004. The charge was added to the original complaint. In a plea deal with the district attorney’s office, a felony 2 count of statutory sexual assault was dropped.

Kistler was charged by state police at Lehighton with having a sexual relationship with a minor more than 10 years ago.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, Kistler engaged in a sexual relationship with the then 15-year-old minor starting in October 2004. Kistler and the victim had sex multiple times in various locations in Palmerton from that point until after the victim’s 16th birthday on March 5, 2005.

Kistler was 25 years old at the time.

The incident was initially reported to state police in March 2005 when the victim admitted to being involved in a sexual relationship with Kistler. The victim said that the first time they had sex was in Kistler’s vehicle along Fireline Road. The victim didn’t want to bring charges against Kistler because the two were still dating.

In April, the victim contacted police and said that as an adult she realized it was wrong for Kistler to have had a sexual relationship with her as a minor, and she wanted to pursue criminal charges against him.

Matika deferred sentencing and ordered the adult probation office to prepare a presentence investigation report.