OC man facing rape, other sex assault charges

From staff reports

An Oil City man has been accused of raping a 14-year-old girl in Rocky Grove.

The girl told police Eric Sharp, 21, showed up at the house where she lived to stay the night shortly after Valentine’s Day, according to a criminal complaint filed by Sugarcreek Borough police.

Sharp gave the girl an obscene picture of himself and asked her to go with him to the garage and perform a sex act, the complaint said. The girl told Sharp no and that they would get caught, according to the complaint.

The girl told police she then went into the kitchen where Sharp raped her after she again told him no and that they would get caught, the complaint said.

Sharp has been charged with felony counts of rape forcible compulsion, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse forcible compulsion, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse person less than 16 years of age, statutory sexual assault: 4-8 years older, corruption of minors- defendant age 18 or above and distributing explicit sexual material to a minor.

He was arraigned Monday and placed in the Venango County jail with bail denied because he is currently on parole with similar charges, which makes him a flight risk.

Sharp’s preliminary hearing is scheduled Aug. 18 in Central Court.