Middleburg man arrested on 2018 rape charges

MIDDLEBURG – NorthcentralPA.com reports… Middleburg, Pa. – A Snyder County man is in jail on rape charges after allegedly sexually assaulting a young girl at a location in Center Township.

After receiving a tip from Snyder County Children and Youth Services, Sherry Moroz of the Child Advocacy Center spoke with the girl, who said the alleged incident occurred around March 9, 2018. The girl told Moroz she was at a home where Jeffrey Allen Try, 53, of Middleburg, was babysitting her and another family member, according to the affidavit filed by Trp. William Shreve of the state police in Selinsgrove.

According to the affidavit, Try allegedly attempted to remove the girl’s clothes several times and eventually abused her in a bedroom.

When police met with Try on April 20, he denied sexually abusing the girl but admitted that he had received documentation from Snyder County Child and Youth Services (CYS) about the alleged abuse. Try was also interviewed by a CYS employee in the presence of police on April 24. Try again denied the allegations, Shreve wrote.

On May 9, Try went to the police barracks to take a polygraph test. Shreve found that Try showed “several signs of extreme deception” during the polygraph test. After police removed the testing equipment, Try admitted to the allegations, the affidavit states.

Shreve asked Try if he wanted to write the girl a letter. In his letter, Try apologized to the girl but claimed he could not remember the alleged incident, the affidavit states.

Police charged Try with rape of a child, involuntary sexual abuse of a person under 16, sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault of a person under 13 and sexual battery of a person under 13. The charges were filed through Bo Trawitz’s office.

Try remains in Snyder County Jail despite posting $100,000 bail.