Mountain Top man faces trial for alleged sexual assaults

WILKES-BARRE – A Mountain Top man police alleged sexually assaulted two girls known to him for a number of years will stand trial on related charges in September.

David Troy Zarn, 46, of Yorktown Road, appeared in Luzerne County Court, where Judge Lesa Gelb scheduled a Sept. 9 trial at the request of Zarn’s attorney, Joseph Sklarosky Sr.

Township police and Luzerne County detectives filed charges after interviewing the two girls, 16 and 14 years old, in early October.

Zarn faces three counts each of aggravated indecent assault and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and two counts each of endangering the welfare of children and corruption of minors.

Sklarosky said he expects the trial to last at least a week. Gelb scheduled the next hearing in the case for Aug. 7.

According to court records, the mother of the elder teen’s boyfriend contacted authorities after learning of text messages the girl had sent to her son about allegedly being assaulted by Zarn. The 16-year-old was later interviewed by a county Children and Youth worker, at which time she admitted Zarn had been sexually assaulting her for a “long period of time.” The girl said the abuse began when she was 6.

The 14-year-old girl told investigators the assaults happened almost every weekend and had been happening for several years, court records state.

When investigators spoke to Zarn about the alleged abuse, Zarn said he had “no idea” why the girls would make those types of accusations and denied any inappropriate behavior, according to the court records.