A Schuylkill County man is facing rape and multiple other sexual assault charges after police said he had sexual contact with a girl repeatedly over about three years, beginning when she was around 12 years old.
State Police-Frackville filed charges against Austin Wolfe, 22, of New Ringgold, following an investigation that began in January 2025, according to police.
Police said the investigation opened after Pennsylvania’s ChildLine system received a referral in late December 2024 alleging that Wolfe had sexual intercourse with a then-14-year-old girl between July and September 2024 at a residence in West Penn Township.
A Schuylkill County Children and Youth Services caseworker interviewed both the girl and Wolfe in late January 2025. Both acknowledged that sexual contact had occurred, police said.
Trooper Kyle Brands of the state police Criminal Investigation Unit at Frackville was assigned the case in July 2025 and interviewed Wolfe that October at the Frackville barracks. Wolfe’s father was present for the interview, police said.
Wolfe told police the “sexual things” occurred over “quite a few years,” estimating it happened “probably somewhere in the fifties,” according to police. He described it as a “sexual relation” and said “she would be okay with it sometimes but sometimes she would refuse.” Wolfe said he used a rubber glove as a form of contraception, an idea he said he got from the internet, and called the topic “embarrassing,” saying “it shouldn’t have happened,” according to police.
The girl was interviewed separately in June 2025 at the Frackville barracks, with her mother present. She told police she first reported the sexual contact because she was worried Wolfe might have gotten her pregnant, according to police.
She told police the contact happened “off and on” for about three years, from 2022 to 2024, when she was between 12 and 15 years old and Wolfe was between 18 and 20, police said. She described the encounters as “random,” estimating they happened between five and 10 times total, with breaks of weeks to months in between, according to police.
She told police the encounters typically began with unwanted physical contact from Wolfe, and that he was aware of the risk of pregnancy and used a rubber glove on occasion, according to police. She said that when she asked him to stop during an encounter, he did not stop right away, but that he ultimately would, and would not return for weeks or months afterward, police said.
The girl told police that as Wolfe got older, the contact became less frequent, and she believed he came to suspect it “wasn’t right.” She said that by the time she reported it, about two months had passed since the last occurrence, in October 2024. She told police that as she matured, she came to feel the contact was “awkward” and “uncomfortable,” realized it was not normal, and no longer wanted it to happen. She said she should have reported it sooner but was afraid of making Wolfe angry, according to police.
Wolfe faces charges of rape by forcible compulsion, rape of a child and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse by forcible compulsion, all first-degree felonies. He is also charged with two counts of incest of a minor and one count of statutory sexual assault, all second-degree felonies; corruption of minors and indecent assault of a person less than 13 years old, both third-degree felonies; and indecent assault of a person less than 16 years old, a second-degree misdemeanor.
Wolfe was arraigned Monday before Magisterial District Judge Stephen Bayer, who set bail at $50,000 unsecured. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Aug. 4 before Judge Casimir Kosciolek.
Schuylkill County Crisis & Support Resources
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse or sexual violence, free, confidential, and inclusive help is available 24/7 in Schuylkill County.
- Schuylkill Hope Center (Domestic Violence): Call the 24/7 hotline at (570) 622-6220, text HOPELINE to 20121, or visit schopecenter.org. Services include emergency shelter, housing assistance, counseling, and legal representation.
- SARCC (Sexual Assault): Call the 24/7 hotline at (570) 628-2965 or visit sarccheals.org for counseling, advocacy, and healing support for survivors of sexual violence.
- Outside Schuylkill County: Residents across Pennsylvania can find their local domestic violence program at pcadv.org. You can also visit domesticshelters.org to find resources near you.
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