May 23, 2002 By Steve Ferris 3 min read

MASONTOWN – With four teen-age girls waiting to testify against him Wednesday, Earl Robinson Crumb Jr., 46, of Ronco waived his preliminary hearing on charges that he took nude photos of two of the girls and attempted to fondle and photograph the other two. Crumb, of 601 Magee St., agreed to stand trial on felony charges of sexual abuse of children and obscene and other sexual materials and performances, and four misdemeanor counts of corruption of minors filed against him by state police in Uniontown.

District Justice Brenda Cavalcante remanded Crumb to the Fayette County Prison and left his $200,000 cash bail in force. Crumb was represented by Public Defender David Kaiser.

Assistant Fayette County District Attorney Jack R. Heneks Jr. said the U.S. Attorney’s office is looking into the case because the defendant was serving a federal probation term when the alleged incidents with the teen-age girls occurred between October and December 2001.

Heneks said federal authorities are also looking at a separate case in which Crumb was arrested by state police on felony charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and two separate counts of sexual abuse of children and a misdemeanor charge of corruption of minors.

Crumb was ordered held for court on these charges at a hearing before District Justice Randy S. Abraham last week.

In a complaint and affidavit, police alleged that the defendant took a picture of a 15-year-old girl while she was having sex with him in a wooded area north of Point Marion in December 2001.

Police seized the pictures allegedly taken by Crumb in both cases.

Heneks said police took a briefcase full of photos relative to the case involving the four girls from the defendant’s home.

In the federal case, Crumb was sentenced in August 1997 to a 30-month prison sentence followed by three years of probation for mailing threatening letters to three Uniontown-area women.

Police said the investigation into Wednesday’s case began in March when trooper James Pierce received information from state police in Montoursville who said Crumb had sent letters and pictures to a female inmate in the State Correctional Institution in Muncy, Lycoming County.

Crumb allegedly wrote that he wanted to have sexual relations with minor females, kill them and eat their brains, according to police. The photos appeared to be of girls who were referred to by name.

Trooper Shirley Redmon then received information from a local 17-year-old girl who alleged that Crumb made passes at her and propositioned her. The girl also told police that the defendant kept nude photos of young girls in a briefcase in his home, said police.

Then two girls, now 15 and 16 years old, told police that the defendant took photos of them when they were together in a shower between October and December last year, according to police.

A 14-year-old girl told police that Crumb asked her to pose nude for photos, but she refused.

Police said the defendant admitted to taking the shower photos and completed a written statement.