Sex texting charges against Perkasie man held for court

More than once, the 14-yearold Telford girl testifying in a Feb. 11 preliminary hearing for the 22-year-old Perkasie man she described as having been her boyfriend had to be asked to speak louder so she could be heard in Magisterial District Judge Charles Baum’s courtroom in Perkasie.

In the middle of a sentence, her voice completely disappeared, leaving her shyly mouthing the word “intercourse” after having said “sexual.”

Asked to again repeat why Tyler Staehle was sending her messages, her voice rose for the first and only time.

“OK, to see me, and,” she said, pausing before continuing audibly, but not as loudly, “have sexual relations with me.”

Although not included in the evidence presented at the preliminary hearing, the affidavit of probable cause, written by Telford Borough police Chief Randall Floyd, says the teenager’s mother gave police 92 pages of transcripts from the daughter’s cellular phone that included Staehle asking the teen to meet for sexual activity, along with raising topics such as illegal drug use, alcohol consumption and encouraging the teen to violate the rules of her home. Those transcripts will be put into evidence in later court proceedings, Assistant District Attorney Kristin Mcblroy said.

Staehle and the girl met in November when the teenager started working at McDonald’s in Hilltown, where Staehle also worked, according to information in the affidavit of probable cause.

At the hearing, the teen said she no longer has an after-school job.

Asked to describe her relationship to Staehle, she said, “We were boyfriend and girlfriend.”

Along with working together, the two text messaged and used Facebook and were in daily contact, she said.

“Most of them were sexual,” she said in answer to a question about the messages.

Staehle knew she was 14, she said, and she knew he was 22.

Around Christmas, the girl’s mother confronted Staehle, who apologized and said he would stop communicating with the daughter, but Jan. 15, the mother caught her daughter texting with Staehle, according to the affidavit. The transcripts given to police were for texts written between Dec. 25 and Jan. 15, the affidavit says.

In answer to questions from Nathan Criste, Staehle’s defense attorney, the teen said the relationship never progressed beyond the talking stage and that Staehle had never come to her home, she had never been in his vehicle and he had never touched her in a sexual way.

Criste said a charge of corruption of minors could be waived to Bucks County Court, but argued against the more serious charge of unlawful contact with a minor.

“Talking is not the same as doing,” Criste said.

The contacts were an attempt by Staehle to have sex with the teenager, which would have been statutory rape, Mcblroy said, successfully arguing that the unlawful contact with a minor charge remain.

Arraignment on the two charges in Bucks County Court will be March 15, Baum said. Bail in the case remains at the previously set 10 percent of $25,000, he said.

Staehle has been in Bucks County Correctional Facility since Jan. 28 after being unable to post bail, according to online records.