Darrin R. Thompson, 32, who is accused of having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl, waived his right to a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Michael Morris yesterday at Centralized Court held at the Clearfield County Jail.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, on July 5, 2020, Clearfield Borough Police Department was informed by Clearfield County Control that a woman reported Thompson and her 15-year-old daughter had exchanged inappropriate pictures and messages.
Miller interviewed the caller at her residence with her husband and obtained consent to search the girl’s iPhone.
The girl was interviewed at the Child Advocacy Center. She said she met Thompson about a month prior at a local racetrack and again the following weekend. She said she gave him her Snapchat username and the two began talking via Snapchat.
She said she told him she was 15 years old the first day they met, but he said he didn’t care. She said she went to his home on Pine Street in Clearfield and said it was awkward to meet Thompson’s 6-year-old daughter.
She said and Thompson would also exchange messages and pictures, and that he gave her a vape smoking device and they would smoke marijuana together.
On July 4, she said the two had a sexual encounter at his home.
The girl’s mother then took her to Penn Highlands DuBois to have a rape kit performed.
On July 9, police conducted a search warrant on Thompson’s home and seized his cell phone, where inappropriate conversations and pictures of the girl were found.
It was also discovered that after Thompson realized the girl’s mother had found the messages, he sent several messages to the girl asking her to not let her mother contact the police.
He also told her to delete all of the messages she had sent him. Thompson also asked the girl to emancipate herself from her parents and move out and not tell them where she is going.
Thompson also contacted the girl’s mother and sister and admitted he had been with the girl the night of the incident, and asked if the police had been contacted.
He also sent a message to his ex-girlfriend and told her he was probably going to jail because he was hanging out with a 15-year-old and said he was in love with the girl.
Police were also able to obtain Thompson’s internet search history and discovered he searched “delete all Snapchat messages,” “Can I get in trouble for hanging out with a minor,” “Why do people think it’s illegal to date a minor,” “Snapchat-delete my account,” “Megan’s Law Applications,” “Indecent assault charges.”
Police also discovered Thompson got a tattoo of the girl’s middle name on his left forearm.
Thompson is charged with statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse-victim less than 16-years-old, and intimidate witness/victim all of which are felonies of the first degree; sexual assault and aggravated indecent assault, felonies of the second degree; corruption of minors, criminal use of a communication facility three counts each of child pornography and disseminate photograph, film child sex acts all of which are felonies of the third degree and lure child into motor vehicle, misdemeanor of the third degree.
He is incarcerated in the Clearfield County Jail in lieu of $100,000 monetary bail. He was represented by Chris Pentz of the public defender’s office. First Assistant District Attorney Leanne Nedza represented the commonwealth.
