A Lansford woman is accused of sexually assaulting a young girl at a Schuylkill County facility where both were staying.
Chloe Eileen Hawley-Schmick, 21, faces 10 charges, including felony counts of unlawful contact with a minor and corruption of minors, police say. She was arraigned Thursday morning by video from Carbon County Prison before Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli, who set bail at $50,000. Hawley-Schmick was apprehended on Wednesday on a probation violation in Carbon County.
The investigation in Schuylkill County began July 16, when Butler Township Police received a ChildLine report. An officer went to Gaudenzia Fountain Springs the following day to follow up.
That report alleged Hawley-Schmick called the girl into her room and that the girl walked in on her masturbating, police say. It also alleged Hawley-Schmick went into the room where the girl was staying, tucked her into bed and kissed her on the forehead. Staff told the officer Hawley-Schmick was no longer at the facility.
Officers spoke with the girl and her mother. The girl told police Hawley-Schmick followed her into her room while her mother and brother were asleep, then crawled onto the bed, straddled her and kissed her on the lips and then on the forehead. She also told police Hawley-Schmick called her into her room, removed her pants and underwear and began masturbating.
During a later recorded forensic interview, the girl gave a more detailed account, describing Hawley-Schmick calling her into her room, removing her clothes, getting into bed and touching herself sexually. She told the interviewer Hawley-Schmick came downstairs and said, “that little girl is my wifey.” She also said the woman came into her room and kissed her on the lips.
The girl’s mother told police that several staff members and other residents had heard Hawley-Schmick refer to the girl as her “wifey.” She directed officers to two other residents who she said had dealings with Hawley-Schmick and knew about the incident.
The first told police the girl had confided in her and that she confronted Hawley-Schmick about it. She said she reported problems with Hawley-Schmick to staff and was told the complaints would be documented before Hawley-Schmick was removed from the facility. She agreed to provide a written statement.
The second resident told police she had heard about the girl’s issues with Hawley-Schmick and the “wifey” comments. She said Hawley-Schmick came into her room uninvited in the middle of the night while she was trying to sleep, got into bed with her and put her head on her chest. When she told Hawley-Schmick she needed to leave, she said Hawley-Schmick got on top of her and would not move, saying “now I’m on top,” before eventually getting off and saying she was looking for someone to love her. The woman said she then fled to another resident’s room and reported what happened to staff.
She told police she did not feel she could tell Hawley-Schmick to stop because she was afraid of what would happen. She also said Hawley-Schmick told her she had previously snuck into her room and slept on the floor, and that Hawley-Schmick had made unwanted advances toward her before.
The manager of Gaudenzia Fountain Springs told police that residents are advised when they arrive at the facility not to enter another resident’s room without permission.
Along with the two felonies, Hawley-Schmick is charged with one count each of indecent exposure, indecent assault of a person less than 13 years of age and open lewdness, two counts of indecent assault without consent, two counts of criminal trespass and one count of harassment.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 19 before Tarantelli.
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