LEWISBURG — A Mifflinburg man allegedly sexually assaulted a teenage girl at locations in Kelly and Lewis townships, according to state police in Milton.
Timothy Alan Dowhower, 42, of Conley Road, Mifflinburg, was charged with seven felonies: three counts of aggravated indecent assault of a person and four felony counts of unlawful contact with a minor, sexual extortion, endangering the welfare of a child and corruption of minors; and 18 misdemeanor counts of indecent assault. The charges were filed by state Trooper James Nestico, of the Milton State Police Barracks, in the Lewisburg office of District Judge Jeffrey Rowe.
On April 4, state police in Milton were contacted by a caseworker from Union County Children and Youth indicating that a 16-year-old girl wanted to report being sexually assaulted by Dowhower, police said. All but one of the alleged incidents occurred in Union County, according to the charges.
The girl said the assaults started in the summer of 2022 when she was 14 and continued until 2023. She said that on 10 separate occasions, Dowhower would allegedly get her alone at various locations, including a hotel in Lewisburg, and sexually assault her, police said.
The most recent time in 2023 resulted in the girl pulling away and Dowhower getting mad at her. When she tried to get away, he allegedly grabbed her legs, police said.
“She physically began fighting against him, kicking, hitting, scratching, biting,” police said. “Eventually he let her go and began saying everything was over.”
Dowhower’s estranged wife told police she believed Dowhower had been grooming the girl by purchasing her gifts. She said their relationship always seemed inappropriate, according to court documents.
A hotel manager of the Country Inn and Suites Hotel in Lewisburg told police that Dowhower was a frequent customer who booked an estimated $10,000 in rooms there since 2022. He would often come with who she assumed were all his children, police said.
A juvenile witness told police that Dowhower would allegedly often spend time with the girl alone at the hotel. The girl would often come back in tears, police said.
The girl said she finally confessed to her friend and sister about the alleged abuse on Easter Sunday, March 31. Dowhower was allegedly pressuring the girl to “do everything” that night, police said.
Dowhower was arraigned on Monday in front of Rowe and posted $200,000 bail through professional bondsman Richard Leslie, of Hamburg. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 9:30 a.m. May 2.