SHAMOKIN - A 22-year-old Shamokin man has been charged with assaulting and attempting to force a 17-year-old Northumberland female to have sex with him in December.
Timothy Lee Jeremiah, of 615 N. Shamokin St., who is currently incarcerated at Northumberland County Prison in Sunbury on a probation violation, is charged by Patrolman William Zalinski with a felony offense of unlawful contact with a minor and misdemeanors of indecent assault by forcible compulsion, indecent assault without consent of the other person, corruption of minors, stalking and simple assault relating to an incident that occurred at 5:30 a.m. Dec. 1 at his residence.
According to a criminal complaint filed at the office of Magisterial District Judge John Gembic III, Jeremiah is accused of chasing
a 17-year-old Northumberland female for approximately two blocks, grabbing the victim by the breast, punching her in the head and physically attempting to force the victim to have sexual contact with him.
On Dec. 1, Patrolmen Nathan Rhodes and Scott Weaver were dispatched to Washington and Commerce streets for a report of a female yelling for help. Police found the victim sitting in a vehicle owned by Lori Hartman, who called the police. Police said the female was extremely disheveled and bleeding from the hands and feet.
Hartman told police she heard the victim yelling for help and crying. Police said the victim was being chased by a man in the area of Commerce and Rock streets and ran to Hartman's car for help.
Police said the victim was later determined to be a missing teen from Northumberland.
Offered help
During an interview with police on Dec. 7, the victim said she arrived in Shamokin on Nov. 29 and began partying for two days at a friend's house on Bear Valley Avenue, where she was introduced to Jeremiah. The 17-year-old female told police she was forced to leave the home on Bear Valley Avenue on the day of the incident when the owner discovered that she was a missing juvenile.
The victim told police she left the residence and walked toward the downtown area when Jeremiah caught up with her and told her to follow him to his apartment on Shamokin Street, where she could charge her cell phone and contact someone to pick her up.
The teen said she consented to Jeremiah's request.
While at Jeremiah's apartment, the victim said the defendant made sexual advances, despite being told by the victim that she "was not interested in him." She informed the defendant of her age, according to police reports.
The victim said Jeremiah became agitated, grabbed her arms, threw her on a bed and jumped on top of her. The victim said she then began screaming for help when Jeremiah asked if she planned to notify the police.
Police said Jeremiah attempted to remove the victim's pants while the victim kicked at him in defense.
Police said Jeremiah punched the victim and held a pillow to her face during the assault, all the while the victim screamed for help.
The victim told police she was able to kick Jeremiah hard enough to get free; she then grabbed her bag and ran out the door screaming for help.
The victim said Jeremiah ran down a flight of stairs after the victim and unlocked for her an exterior door allowing her to leave the building.
The female said she was half way across Shamokin Street when Jeremiah started chasing her.
Hartman informed police that the assailant stopped chasing the teen once he saw her seeking assistance. Hartman said the suspect then retreated east on Commerce Street.
Weaver proceeded east on Commerce Street and encountered Jeremiah at Commerce and Rock streets, where he was taken into custody.