Photographer accused of indecent assault at Somerset school

Somerset County authorities allege a Youngwood man hired as a photographer for a formal dance at Conemaugh Township Middle and Senior High School in May inappropriately touched and harassed several students, court records filed this week state.

Conemaugh Township Police Detective Michael Popma on Thursday charged Gary D. Josebeck, 24, with indecent assault of juveniles, public drunkenness and harassment following the May 13 incident.

School officials summoned police following the dance, Popma wrote in the affidavit of probable cause filed before Boswell District Judge Susan Mankamyer.

“Students did advise school faculty that along with the unwanted indecent contact, (Josebeck) did also use lewd and obscene language in towards students in attendance,” Pompa wrote.

Reached by telephone Friday, Josebeck said he intends to fight the charges.

“You're innocent until proven guilty. I'm still waiting to receive the paperwork, but I intend to retain an attorney and fight the charges,” he said.

Josebeck added that “a lot of the accusations are false.”

A preliminary hearing is scheduled Nov. 2.