Charges Formalized in State College Exposure Cases; Man Held on $400,000 Bail

From Penn State University Park to State College borough and suburban Patton Township, Ryan Ho was the man behind the mask, police have alleged.

Now that they’ve combed through the evidence, the 33-year-old Patton Township man is charged in 19 different cases dating to August 2009, police announced this week. The cases involve a variety of burglary, trespassing, indecent-assault and indecent-exposure accusations.

Ho, of Vairo Boulevard, was first caught Thursday after he broke into an Oakwood Avenue residence and assaulted a woman inside, police said.

He was wearing only a ski mask and shoes at the time, according to police reports. A Ferguson Township officer took him into custody a short distance from the scene.

Ho was initially charged Thursday only in connection with that incident and lodged in the Centre County Correctional Facility in lieu of posting $100,000 bail.

But authorities have continued to build their case against Ho, who was arraigned Monday in the 18 other, earlier incidents. Twelve were reported on the University Park campus; four, in State College borough; and two, in Patton Township.

Ho now faces a total of at least 15 criminal complaints. Combined bail in the cases — as set by District Judges Leslie Dutchcot, Daniel Hoffman and Jonathan Grine — is now $400,000, police statements show.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 1 at the Centre County courthouse in Bellefonte. As of Wednesday, Ho remained in the county lockup.

In most of the incidents, police have said, a man was reported to have hidden his face behind a surgical mask or a ski mask. At times, he would enter a female victim’s residence and expose himself; in other instances, he confronted his female victims while masturbating, according to police documents.

According to police, Ho has said he committed three of the incidents between January and May 2011 in Patton Township; four in State College borough — on Waupelani Drive — between June 2010 and September 2011; and a dozen on the University Park campus between August 2009 and February 2011.

The investigation into the cases has involved State College, Patton Township, Penn State and Ferguson Township police, along with the FBI, according to a borough news release.

Earlier coverage

• Authorities: State College-Area Assault Suspect Linked to 18 Incidents (May 20, 2011)

• Police: More Charges Pending after Reported Assault in Patton Township (May 20, 2011)

• Patton Township Man Charged in Reported Invasion, Assault (May 20, 2011)

• Indecent Exposures Reported in Patton Township (March 12, 2011)

• PSU Police: Indecent Exposure Reported in Runkle Hall (Dec. 16, 2010)