CLEARFIELD – A Morrisdale man accused of raping a 5-year-old girl had all charges bound to court following a preliminary hearing on Wednesday.
Jason Paul Erskine is charged with rape, statutory sexual assault, indecent assault, two counts of indecent exposure and two counts of corruption of minors.
The girl’s mother testified that on Dec. 21 Erskine was staying with her family as he needed a place to stay. She said that she put her children to bed around 11 p.m. and that she and her husband were in bed.
She said that around 2 a.m. Erskine came in to their room, which adjoins the bathroom, and asked if they needed to use it as he wanted to take a bath. She said the bathwater ran for about 10 minutes.
She said she heard her daughter scream and run to the bathroom. She said the door was closed to the bathroom from their room and that her husband tried to open it. She said she forced it open and that Erskine was behind it.
The woman testified that she noticed that her daughter had no pants or underwear. The woman said her daughter had them on when she put her to bed.
“I assumed he hurt her,” said the woman.
She said she told him to get out and that he would not leave. She said she put her children in the room with her husband then ran to her mother’s to call the police. She said that Erskine followed her and then got into an argument with her mother.
She said she told police she was taking her girl to the emergency room and that she would meet them there. She said she went home and noticed blood on her daughter’s bed sheet. She testified that she packed that up and took it to the hospital.
Trooper Thomas Granville testified that he took Erskine into custody and interviewed him. He said Erskine told him that around 2 a.m. he went to the girl’s room and noticed her with no clothes on. He said Erskine told him he got in bed with her and that she began touching him. He said Erskine told him he penetrated her and that when he realized that what he was doing was wrong he left.
Magisterial District Judge Michael Rudella bound all charges to court.
Erskine is being held in Clearfield County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.