Carbon County court

By Den McLaughlin

dmclaughlin@tnonline.com

A Carbon County man admitted to sexual assault charges involving a 19-year-old woman as his victim.

Thomas Lee Gehres Sr., 60, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded guilty in two pending cases to one count each of incest and indecent assault. The incest count is a felony two and the assault count a misdemeanor two.

Jim Thorpe police Detective Lee Marzen charged Gehres with rape; rape with threat of forcible compulsion; involuntary deviate sexual intercourse; sexual assault; aggravated indecent sexual assault; indecent assault forcible compulsion; indecent assault without consent; and incest. All the other charges were dropped in a plea bargain. The alleged incidents occurred on Dec. 10, 2017.

The indecent assault charge stems from a separate offense involving the same victim in May 2017 at his home in Jim Thorpe.

Assistant District Attorney Joseph D. Perilli said the victim agreed to the plea bargain, which calls for a sentence of two to four years in a state correctional institution.

Judge Joseph J. Matika, who accepted the pleas, told Gehres that he was not a party to the plea deal, meaning he can impose a sentence he believes is appropriate.

Matika also said the charges fall under the provisions of Megan’s Law and Gehres must submit to an evaluation by the state sexual offenders assessment board to determine if he is a violent sexual predator. If it’s determined he is, then he will have to register for life as a sexual offender.

Matika also ordered the adult probation office to prepare a presentence investigation report.

Gehres has been an inmate in the county prison since his arrest unable to post bail.