REDBANK TWP., Pa. (EYT) – Charges against an area man accused of sexually assaulting a young girl in 2017 moved forward in court on Tuesday.
According to court documents, the following criminal charges against 39-year-old Thomas Russell Kahl, of Knox, were waived for court during a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, May 16, in front of District Judge Jeffrey C. Miller:
- Rape of Child, Felony 1 (three counts)
- Statutory Sexual Assault: 11 Years Older, Felony 1 (48 counts)
- Corruption Of Minors – Defendant Age 18 or Above
Kahl remains lodged in the Clarion County Jail on $250,000.00 monetary bail.
His case has been transferred to the Clarion County Court of Common Pleas.
Details of the case:
According to a criminal complaint filed by PSP Clarion on Thursday, April 27, 2023, a trooper interviewed a known victim at PSP Clarion barracks on April 10, 2023, regarding an incident that occurred in approximately September 2017 when she was 12. The victim told the trooper that Thomas Kahl had a fire outside of his residence and that he furnished and allowed her to consume alcohol.
According to the complaint, the victim further stated that she consumed enough alcohol that she was unable to walk under her own power. She related Kahl helped her into the basement of the residence and lay her down on the floor. Kahl then began having sexual intercourse with her as she lay on the floor.
The victim explained that Kahl then stopped, got her dressed, and then took her upstairs where he put her on the couch. The victim then told police that this seemed to be a “trial run to see if she would tell anyone,” the complaint indicates.
The victim then related that Kahl told her he wanted to do that for a long time, but just needed alcohol to go through with it. She then related that Kahl acted as if nothing ever happened the next day, the complaint notes.
According to the complaint, Kahl had sex with the victim at least twice a week for a period of five years.
Investigators asked the victim if alcohol was always involved in this type of situation, and she related only at first. Then, it “just kind of became a normal thing without alcohol,” the complaint states.
The victim related that the sex began when she was 12 years of age and continued until she was 17 years of age. She told police that Kahl would always “treat her special,” and that Kahl was always on her side and would buy her anything she wanted, the complaint indicates.
Kahl repeatedly told her not to tell anyone or “he would kill himself,” the complaint notes.
Charges were filed against Kahl on April 27, 2023.
EDITOR’S NOTE 1: Extreme graphic details were not included due to the sexual nature of the alleged crimes.
EDITOR’S NOTE 2: Several details were removed from this article to help protect the identity of the victim.
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