ELIZABETHVILLE — A man charged with raping two young girls in Dauphin County waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday.
Timothy M. Watts Jr., 33, whose last known address was 126 S. Main St., Elizabethville, was scheduled to appear before Dauphin County Magisterial District Judge Rebecca J. Margerum but waived that right, moving the charges to Dauphin County Court.
Watts was arrested by state police Trooper Christopher Wright of the Lykens station and charged with three felony counts of rape; two felony counts of aggravated indecent assault; and one felony count each of unlawful contact with a minor and another sexual offense involving children.
He was also charged with misdemeanor offenses of indecent assault and unlawful contact with a minor.
After waiving his right to a hearing Watts was returned to Dauphin County Prison where he is being held on $500,000 straight cash bail since the time of his arrest and preliminary arraignment on May 5.
Wright charged Watts in connection with crimes committed at a Berrysburg home between April 2014 and April 2016.
Wright said the incidents came to light on April 26 when he was contacted by Dauphin County Children & Youth Services regarding a suspected sexual abuse incident involving two girls, ages 12 and 13.
During a subsequent Watts told investigators he believed the allegations of abuse were about his drinking problem and not anything he did to the girls.
Both girls were interviewed by a forensic child examiner at the Children’s Resource Center, Harrisburg, on May 4 during which the 13-year-old reported had inappropriate sexual contact and forcible rape with her more than five times but less than 10 times and that the incidents started when she was 11 years old.
On some of those occasions, Wright said, the girl reported Watts would have intercourse with her and place his hand over her mouth telling her to be quiet. The child said that when the rapes occurred, Watts would be drunk and the next day tell her he was sorry and pay her $20 to $30, the trooper said.
Wright said that during an interview with the 12-year-old girl, the child reported Watts touched her inappropriately on more than five occasions beginning when she was 9.
On May 5, Wright said he interviewed Watts concerning the allegations, at which time the man confessed to having sex with the 13-year-old girl one time and said it occurred April 2016. Watts admitted touching the 13-year-old inappropriately numerous times and touching the 12-year-old inappropriately at least once, the trooper said.
Watts will now have to appear for a formal arraignment in July at the Dauphin County Courthouse.