Center County man charged with sexually abusing a Lancaster girl

LANCASTER, Pa. — A Center County man already in prison for a 2019 conviction has been charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl in Lancaster over three years, Manheim Parish police said this week.

Thomas Edward Irwin Sr., 76, of Bellefonte, was charged after the victim came forward in March. The victim alleged that Irwin shared pornography with her, exposed himself to her, engaged in illicit conversations and forced her to touch his genitals when she was in the 2nd and 3rd grades.

In an April 3 interview with investigators, Irwin allegedly told police that little girls have a “liking” for how things work sexually and that he “indulged” the girl and found the conversations “suggestive,” but denied ever having sexual interactions with the victim.

Irwin is charged with two counts of indecent assault, one count of unlawful contact with a minor, one count of endangering the welfare of children, one count of transmitting obscene or sexual material, two counts of corruption of minors and one count of accused of indecent exposure.

He was arraigned before District Judge Courtney Monson and is awaiting a preliminary hearing, according to court records.