Although District Judge Christian Frey threw out several charges against Nicholas A. Peterson following a recent preliminary hearing, he ruled there was sufficient evidence to hold the 22-year-old city man on a majority of criminal offenses, including the lead felony of trafficking in individuals for allegedly “enticing a teenage girl to perform sex acts on him in exchange for alcohol and marijuana,” according to a city police document.

The juvenile claimed that Peterson, of 1518 Scott St., “provided her alcohol and marijuana on multiple occasions” last year between late May and mid-September, it was stated in an affidavit. “Once she was in his bedroom Peterson removed the girl’s clothes” and two would engage in various sexual acts, investigators alleged in the court document.

The girl said that Peterson “kept a box with a key, similar to safe, underneath his bed which contained marijuana. She said there were ‘jars and jars’ of it” and that “Peterson would provide her with marijuana from the safe,” it was stated in an affidavit. Police said the girl was allowed to visit Peterson as long as his girlfriend was not there.

Frey dismissed two out of three felony counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercours as as one of two counts of statutory sexual assault. The judge also tossed out one of two counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance plus one count of sexual assault. Peterson, who was arrested in late December and remains jailed in the Lycoming County on no bail, will face further court action on 19 charges, including aggravated indecent assault as well as three counts each of corrupting the morals of a minor and indecent assault, four counts of furnishing alcohol to a minor and two counts each of unlawful contact with a minor and illegal use of a communication device. Peterson’s next court appearance is his formal arraignment which is scheduled Monday morning before Judge Ryan Gardner.