A State College man is facing charges after he allegedly groped a woman who lives in his apartment house and teenage girl downtown on the same day.
Scott A. Bryan, 64, was charged this week with two misdemeanor counts each of indecent assault and corruption of minors.
A woman told borough police on May 2 that Bryan entered the Highlands neighborhood apartment she shares with her girlfriend after he intervened in an argument they had with another neighbor. She reported that Bryan made sexual comments, grabbed his crotch and touched the woman’s breast, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Bryan showed signs of intoxication and admitted he had been drinking, police wrote. While speaking to an officer Bryan denied began screaming about the women and used a slur to describe them, according to the affidavit.
He denied touching the woman but “went on a rant” about how he could do whatever he wanted because, while he does not own the building, he has lived there the longest, police wrote.
The women told police Bryan had behaved inappropriately since they moved in several months earlier. On the day they moved in, Bryan allegedly touched one of the women’s breasts, and after that regularly called them abusive names, grabbed his crotch and made sexual comments to them, according to the affidavit.
Police also received a report from a father who said his 14-year-old daughter told him that she and female friend of the same age were near the intersection of West Beaver Avenue and South Fraser Street on May 2 when they were approached by an older man who asked them if they wanted to come to his apartment to smoke marijuana. After they declined, the man allegedly grabbed the buttocks of one of the girls before leaving.
An officer and an interviewer at the Centre County Children’s Advocacy Center both spoke to the girls. They confirmed the account and provided a description of the man, as well as the breed of dog he had with him, that he said he graduated from Harvard and that he told them the street he lived on, according to the affidavit. The officer recognized the description as similar to Bryan and was aware of the incident at the apartment house on the same day.
Bryan initially denied touching either girl or offering them weed, saying he does not use marijuana, police wrote. A witness told police that Bryan has a medical marijuana card and that he had smoked weed with him.
When investigators pointed out in a subsequent interview that the description and other information the girls provided matched him, Bryan allegedly said he must have spoken to them but did not remember it. He denied touching the girl and suggested that his dog might have nudged her with his nose and she thought it was him, according to the affidavit.
Byran was arraigned on Tuesday morning by District Judge Don Hahn and released on recognizance. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 23.
