Genetic tests will prove that an East Greenville man accused of raping two underage girls impregnated one of the girls, a prosecutor argued as the man’s trial got under way.
“The DNA is going to corroborate these girls and they are going to corroborate each other,” Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Samantha Cauffman argued Friday as alleged child rapist Wayne A. Klotz faced his first day in court.
Cauffman, who leads the district attorney’s sex crimes unit, argued genetic tests conducted on the aborted fetus from the 12-year-old girl
determined to a degree of 99.9 percent that Klotz was the father of the child.
“The secret of the abuse became hard to hide because (one of the victims) had become pregnant.”
Klotz, 48, formerly of Colonial Drive, was
brought to court in a wheelchair after he claimed he was suffering stomach pain. Klotz sat hunched over, his hand on his left side, groaning at times, through pretrial matters and as lawyers gave their opening statements at his trial.
Klotz waived his right to a jury trial, instead opting for a non-jury trial at which Judge William R. Carpenter will act as sole fact finder.
“What exactly hurts?” defense lawyer Pietro D’Angelo asked Klotz during one break in the proceedings.
“My stomach,” Klotz said. “It’s been going on since three o’clock this morning.”
However, testimony revealed that medical officials at the county jail had evaluated Klotz and cleared him to come to court.
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D’Angelo, during his opening statement to the judge, argued the prosecution’s trial evidence comes from non-credible sources and is unreliable and that Klotz should be acquitted of all charges.
Klotz faces charges of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, false imprisonment, unlawful restraint and corruption of minors in connection with his alleged contact with two girls between September 2008 and August 2010.
The girls were 12 and 9 at the time of the incidents, which occurred at locations in East Greenville while the girls were in Klotz’s company.
If he is convicted of all of the charges, Klotz faces a possible maximum sentence of 83 to 166 years in prison
An investigation of Klotz began after the 12-year-old girl was examined at a local hospital and it was determined she was pregnant, according to an arrest affidavit. The girl eventually told authorities that she had been sexually assaulted by Klotz.
Klotz, who was apprehended in Arizona after he allegedly fled the area during the investigation, will remain in the county jail without bail, pending the conclusion of his trial.
During the investigation, the 12-year-old girl told authorities that Klotz had
warned her not to tell anyone about the assault or he would hurt her, according to the arrest affidavit filed by Upper Perk Detective Matthew Boaman and county Detective Drew Marino.
The 9-year-old girl told authorities that Klotz
warned her that if she told anyone about the sexual contact he had with her that “he was going to kill himself,” (damned liar!) according to the arrest affidavit.
During one pretrial matter on Friday, prosecutors argued
the 12-year-old girl, during the last month, disclosed to investigators other alleged incidents of sexual molestation at the hands of Klotz, in addition to the incident that led to her pregnancy. Cauffman argued the girl didn’t disclose the other incidents when initially questioned out of fear of Klotz.
“The defendant was still on the run and she was scared,” said Cauffman, arguing the judge should hear about the incidents to provide “the complete story,” even though additional charges have not been filed against Klotz.
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The judge ruled the girl can legally testify about the alleged new information.
Each girl is supposed to testify when the trial resumes on Tuesday.
Klotz, who reportedly lived at his home with his fiancée at the time of the alleged incidents, is no stranger to law enforcement.
Court papers indicate Klotz was arrested by state police in 1988 and charged with indecent assault and corruption of minors, and subsequently was sentenced to five years’ probation in connection with contact he had with two other girls, who were between the ages of 5 and 10.
In March 1985, Klotz was charged with burglary and related offenses, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months to 23 months in county jail, according to court documents.
In 1992, Klotz was sentenced to one year and 11 months to three years and 11 months in prison in connection with an arrest for aggravated assault and related charges, according to a criminal complaint.
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