A Centre County man was arrested Friday on charges of indecently assaulting a child.
Gerald E. Bruss, 72, of Julian, is charged with felony counts of aggravated indecent assault of a child, unlawful contact with a minor and indecent assault of a person less than 13 years old.
A woman told a state police trooper on March 14 that she saw Bruss lying on top of the child and rubbing the child’s leg, according to a heavily redacted affidavit of probable cause. Bruss got up immediately upon seeing the woman and left, police wrote.
During an interview with a forensic interviewer at the Centre County Children’s Advocacy Center, the child described multiple instances of Bruss touching them inappropriately over and and under the clothes, according to the affidavit.
The child said they felt “embarrassed,” and had asked Bruss to stop, police wrote.
Bruss was arraigned on Friday night by District Judge Kelley Gillette-Walker, who denied bail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
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