A Hellertown woman who is accused of sexually assaulting a teenage boy over a period of approximately nine months last year waived her right to a preliminary hearing in Northampton County District Court in Lower Saucon Township Tuesday, meaning her case will now move to the Court of Common Pleas for a possible trial.
Bonnie Marie Rohn, 34, of the first block of W. Chestnut Street, is charged with four counts of Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse, four counts of Statutory Sexual Assault, one count of Unlawful Contact with a Minor, four counts of Aggravated Indecent Assault, one count of Endangering the Welfare of Children, one count of Corruption of Minors and four misdemeanor counts of Indecent Assault of a Person Less Than 16 Years of Age. All of the other charges filed are felonies.
According to Hellertown borough police, Rohn’s sexual contact with the boy allegedly began when he was 15 and ended after he had turned 16, after police received a report of “suspected child abuse” and began an investigation on Sept. 26, 2017.
Police have not said how they learned of the alleged abuse, but in an affidavit of probable cause filed in early February, Hellertown Police Department Det. Michael Dattilio said that in one instance Rohn allegedly using a self-recorded Snapchat video of herself in the nude “to entice the victim into the engagement of unlawful sexual activity.”
Police said the alleged Snapchat “included a self-made video by Rohn while taking a shower” and also included a discussion about a “relationship” between Rohn and the boy, who is only identified in court papers by his initials, because he is a minor.
A model who formerly worked for an agency with offices in Bethlehem and Doylestown, Rohn remains free on $50,000 unsecured bail and was present at the district court Tuesday, along with her attorney, Erv D. McLain of McLain & Associates, Bethlehem.
The firm specializes in criminal litigation, among other things, according to McLain’s LinkedIn public profile.
The case is being prosecuted for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by Northampton County Assistant District Attorney Laura Marie Majewski, according to court records.
Although Tuesday’s preliminary hearing before District Judge Alan Mege was scheduled to begin at 1 p.m., it began early and was over before 1 p.m., a clerk at District Court 03-2-04 explained to members of the press who had arrived to attend it, only to find out it had already been held.
Rohn’s next court date is a formal arraignment on her charges scheduled for Thursday, July 5 at 1 p.m., according to court records.
