Courtroom gavel

Joshua Carter Turner, 48, of 803 Cemetery St., Williamsport, will be released on $150,000 supervised bail, District Judge Christian Frey ruled Tuesday afternoon.

Turner is charged with 30 felony counts each of statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, endangering the welfare of a child, corrupting the morals of a minor and 60 counts of unlawful contact with a minor for sexually molesting a minor during a period from 2012 to 2013.

Turner and the alleged victim, in her early teens at the time, first met when she visited a business in Newberry where Turner was employed and where sexual activity took place between the two, according to court documents.

Turner often picked the alleged victim up when he got off work and “drove her around back roads in Newberry or other surrounding areas, on deserted roads, where Turner would allow the girl to smoke weed with him,” an affidavit stated.

The victim said she and Turner would “meet up almost every weekend and at least once a week,” police said.

She and Turner “smoked marijuana and drank alcohol” together on several occasions, with the alleged victim stating they had also used cocaine on different occasions, an affidavit said.

Turner bought the girl “a whole bottle of alcohol that she would drink alone” and he would engaged in sexual activities with her “while she was drunk,” authorities allege.

The alleged victim stated she had “sexual encounters with Turner more than 20 times but less than 70 times,” police said.

Turner also took her to “hang out” at the city home of his male friend and, while there, she and Turner’s friend had sex after Turner instructed her not to tell the friend her age, the affidavit stated.

Initially scheduled as a preliminary hearing, Frey appeared puzzled as to why an agreement on bail was reach, considering the nature of the charges.

Defense attorney Matthew Diemer stated that the age of the allegations, more than a decade, as well as the fact that the alleged victim no longer resides in Lycoming County played a role in the last minute meeting of the minds with prosecutors.

Turner and his family are lifelong residents of Lycoming County, Diemer told the judge.

Many of Turner’s family members were in attendance at the proceedings, which Diemer referred to as his support system. Turner has been and continues to be fully employed by Cable Services, the attorney added.

Additionally, Turner’s case is not dissimilar to other cases in which the accused received bail, Diemer said, specifically citing recent “school teacher cases.”

Assistant District Attorney Phoebe Yates did not challenge the notion of bail, noting that the commonwealth does not have any concerns that Turner may be a flight risk or a danger to the alleged victim.

Yates also cited a lack of criminal behavior on the part of Turner, which includes only one count of theft by unlawful taking in 2018 — a case that was not sexual or violent in nature, she said.

Frey said he felt comfortable with the arguments made by both sides, but informed Turner that certain necessary steps, such as approval of a living space would need to take place before he would be released.

“This is not something that will happen in the next hour,” Frey told Turner.

The conditions of Turner’s bail do not require him to post any cash or collateral, so long as he adheres to all conditions set forth by the Supervised Bail Department. These conditions include a no-contact provision, which includes texting and other means of contact with the alleged victim.

No trial date has been set in the matter.