Metro

HOLLIDAYSBURG — A Blair County man accused of sexually assaulting an adolescent girl at a residence in Martinsburg between 2017 and 2020 is on trial this week in Blair County court.

William Russell Corley Jr., 43, is facing 28 felony and misdemeanor counts based on allegations that surfaced in September 2020, when the girl, then 16, and her mother, went into the Martinsburg police department regarding what happened to her when she was 12 to 15 years old.

Criminal charges indicate that the alleged sexual abuse began in 2017 when the girl started babysitting for Corley and his girlfriend at a residence on the 200 block of West Allegheny Street in Martinsburg, and that it continued after she and her mother, in 2018, moved in with Corley and the girlfriend, who was the mother’s relative.

“He took advantage of having a young girl in his home,” Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Mays said in his opening statement to the jury that will be evaluating the case.

Defense attorney Thomas M. Dickey told the jury Monday in his opening statement to pay close attention to the details because the case is full of claims that won’t make sense.

“These stories about what happened were changing as late as last week,” Dickey said.

Criminal charges indicate that the girl spoke of various interactions with Corley, including inappropriate touching, sexual intercourse, oral sex and physical abuse.

When police examined her cellphone, they found messages exchanged between her and Corley from October 2017 to April 2020. Within their communication, detectives found what was described as a sexually explicit joke and a video of a nude female. In addition, the phone contained photos of the victim’s injuries that included bruising, a welt in the shape of a handprint and a bite mark.

In his opening statement, Mays cautioned the jury not to be swayed by the text messages showing that the girl wrote “I love you” to Corley.

“Having sex with a child is a crime, no matter if there is consent,” Mays said.

Corley, who has been free on unsecured bail since September 2022, is facing felony counts of statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child less than 16, indecent assault, sexual assault, corruption of minors and indecent assault of a person less than 16.

Judge Jackie Bernard is presiding over the trial scheduled to last through Thursday.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.