A Schuylkill County man grabbed a woman by the head and neck inside her parked SUV and tried to force her head toward his genitals, stopping only when another man in the vehicle intervened, police say.
Tyshon Handley, 35, of Pottsville, is charged with indecent assault without consent, a second-degree misdemeanor, along with summary counts of harassment and disorderly conduct.
Handley is currently in Schuylkill County Prison on charges from a separate sexual assault case. He is accused of breaking into a Pottsville home on Aug. 5 and sexually assaulting a woman in her bed while she slept. (READ: Schuylkill County Man Broke Into Apartment, Sexually Assaulted Sleeping Woman, Police Say)
In the latest charges against Handley, Troopers from State Police-Frackville were dispatched shortly after 4 a.m. on July 31 to Mall Road in New Castle Township for a report of a physical disturbance. Around 4:30 a.m., a Trooper made contact with Handley in front of the ID Logistics entrance.
Handley told police he and a man and a woman had gotten into the woman’s SUV, with Handley in the front passenger seat, the man in the second row and the woman in the driver’s seat.
“She looked like she wanted loving, so I grabbed her neck,” Handley told police.
Handley said the woman appeared to enjoy the interaction and that it was mutual, according to police. He said the other man then intervened and all three got out of the vehicle. Handley denied touching the woman in a sexual manner without her consent, police say.
In a follow-up interview the next day, the woman told police she was sitting in the driver’s seat of her parked vehicle when Handley and the other man got in. She said Handley suddenly began touching her in a sexual manner before grabbing her by the head and neck.
The woman told police Handley then tried to force her head toward his genitals while at the same time trying to pull down his sweatpants. When she tried to pull her head away, she said, Handley told her, “She’s with it.” The other man then intervened and stopped Handley, she told police.
The witness told police he saw Handley grab the woman by the head and neck and try to pull her head toward his genitals. He said he told Handley to stop, and that Handley responded, “She likes it.” The witness told police he believed that, had he not intervened, Handley would have sexually assaulted the woman.
Handley is being held on $75,000 bail on felony burglary, felony criminal trespass and misdemeanor indecent assault charges from the Pottsville case. A warrant has been issued for his arrest in the New Castle Township case.
Handley was scheduled for a preliminary hearing Monday morning in the Pottsville case but it was continued to Aug. 24.
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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