Nicholas Lies, a youth ministry volunteer at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been charged with “five counts of sexual assault after allegedly engaging in sexual contact with a 15-year-old girl at least 14 times.”
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports:
A former Mt. Lebanon youth ministry mentor has been charged with five counts of sexual assault after allegedly engaging in sexual contact with a 15-year-old girl at least 14 times.
Nicholas Lies, 21, was serving as a volunteer with Southminster Presbyterian Church on Washington Road when he began inappropriate relations with an underage member of the church, according to a criminal complaint.
He is accused of taking the girl to a park after church events 12 times during a three-week period from April to May 2016, and twice again in August. At the park, the complaint alleges, he engaged in fondling and requested sexual acts from the girl, the severity of which escalated as time went on.
Last week, the girl alerted the youth director at the church, who in turn reported it to Allegheny County’s Office of Children, Youth and Families, said the Rev. Daniel B. Merry, Southminster’s pastor. The county’s CYF office then contacted police.
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The criminal complaint stated that Mr. Lies admitted to some of the alleged crimes and provided a written statement to police June 29.
He has been charged with one count each of statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, corruption of minors, endangering welfare of children and indecent assault. A preliminary hearing will be held July 12.
