Ty M. Levy, the 49-year-old Richmond, Va., man charged with contacting and engaging in sexual acts with a South Williamsport minor girl on the Internet in September 2009, made a brief appearance in Lycoming County Court Monday before Judge Dudley N. Anderson in a non-jury trial.
The fifth-grade teacher and soccer coach exchanged instant messages and had online Skype video chats with the then 15-year-old girl while exposing himself during the course of several months, according to police. During the chats, Levy also asked the girl to perform sex acts, police said.
The two allegedly contacted each other by cellphone, police said. Investigators also allege that Levy sent the girl links to pornographic websites.
Levy traveled to the area and met the girl at a South Williamsport eatery over the Christmas holiday in 2009, police said.
Several charges against Levy were dismissed Monday, including one count of unlawful contact with a minor, one count of corruption of minors, indecent exposure and open lewdness.
Levy's attorney Kyle Rude said counts of unlawful contact with a minor and corruption of a minor remain uncontested.
Rude said state police in Milton examined Levy's computer and found no explicit videos or pictures related to the incident. Rude also argued that Levy only sent web links to pornographic material - not the material itself. The recipient would have had to take action to open the link, he said.
"He sent the address. He sent the reference point that leads to the explicit material," Rude said.
The attorney also questioned Anderson if the Skype chat sessions should be considered computer depictions.
Monday's proceedings ended with Assistant District Attorney Aaron S. Biichle given 10 days to respond to briefs issued by Rude, however Anderson could rule within the week on the case.
