By Bob Kalinowski
The Citizens’ Voice
NANTICOKE, Pa. — City police on Friday accused a volunteer firefighter of raping an 8-year-old girl multiple times.
Michael L. Sansone is facing charges of rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, aggravated indecent assault of a child, unlawful contact with a minor, endangering the welfare of children and corruption of minors.
Nanticoke police took the 29-year-old into custody Friday morning and brought him before Magisterial District Judge Donald Whittaker for arraignment. Whittaker ordered Sansone to be jailed in the Luzerne County Correctional Facility. The judge set bail at $250,000.
Nanticoke police and fire officials confirmed Sansone is a volunteer fireman in the city.
“We immediately suspended him pending the outcome of the case,” Fire Chief Kevin Hazleton said.
The chief noted Sansone passed a background check prior to joining. Court records indicate he has no prior criminal record.
Arrest papers say Sansone, last known to live on Broad Street in Nanticoke, had sexually assaulted the girl several times in the past year.
Investigators say the girl recently told a friend about the sexual abuse during a sleepover.
During interviews with authorities, the girl said Sansone forced himself on her several times and tried to make her perform sex acts on him.
He warned her not to tell anyone, arrest papers say.
At one point, the girl’s 10-year-old brother walked in on Sansone having sex with the girl, police said.
Sansone ordered the boy to leave the room and demanded that the boy “keep it a secret,” arrest papers say.
Later, Sansone approached the boy and offered to buy him two Lego sets if he didn’t tell anyone what he saw, police said.
A preliminary hearing was set for June 8 at 1 p.m. in front of Whittaker.
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(c)2016 The Citizens’ Voice (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.)