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Police: Couple plotted to assault underage girl

A couple in Altoona face charges over allegations a 25-year-old man repeatedly tried to get a 17-year-old girl to have sex with him.

Corey A. Hartman, 25, was arraigned Wednesday morning along with his fiancee, Tiffany P. Yohn, on charges of criminal conspiracy and multiple counts of unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of minors, indecent assault and harassment stemming from Hartman’s ongoing harassment of a 17-year-old girl over the past several months.

Hartman allegedly devised a scheme so he could have sex with the girl and avoid Yohn getting upset with him. He “proposed to Yohn that he would bait the victim into having sex with him and then after the sexual encounter, she could physically assault the victim for having sex with her fiance,” Altoona police Detective Cpl. Terry Merritts noted in the charges filed Wednesday.

Altoona police said Hartman first met the 17-year-old in July when she was visiting a relative the couple knew, police said. The girl told Yohn that she thought Hartman was “hot and a good guy,” and when Hartman learned of this, he allegedly tricked the girl into giving him her cellphone number.

Police allege that after he got the girl’s number, Hartman started sending her “inappropriate messages regarding sexual activity” and directly asked her to have sex with him, Merritts noted in court records.

“When can we have sex?” Hartman allegedly texted. Police said Hartman also asked the girl to show him her breasts and made remarks about touching them.

In November, Hartman started to try to get the girl to meet him, and although she continued to decline his advances, he continued. Police said Hartman sent the girl more than 30 text messages

Hartman allegedly also would watch for the girl so when she walked her dogs, he would approach her, put her in a bear hug and try to “French kiss” her, police said.

Hartman, who is 6-foot-2 and weighs 185 pounds, would grab the girl’s butt and make crude remarks, police added. He also allegedly tried to touch her below the waistline, but she stopped him.

The girl told police he frightened her because he was older and larger and she feared if she reported him, Yohn would retaliate.

When questioned by police, Hartman and Yohn allegedly admitted to the allegations, according to the charges.

Hartman was jailed Wednesday in lieu of $100,000 cash bail, and Yohn remains in Blair County Prison with bail set at $50,000 cash.

A preliminary hearing is slated for Dec. 19.

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