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WILKES-BARRE — A Hanover Village man who was accused of groping several girls on a school bus while he was a senior at Hanover Area High School pleaded guilty to the charges against him on Monday.

Raymond Vasquez, 19, appeared before Luzerne County Judge Michael T. Vough, after he had been accused earlier this year of groping several girls on a Hanover Area High School bus last fall.

Represented by public defender Thomas Cometa, Vasquez entered guilty pleas on three counts of corruption of minors. These charges were modified from counts of indecent assault without the consent of another and indecent assault of a person less than 16 in exchange for his guilty plea.

The case against Vasquez began after John Sipper, vice principal at Hanover Area, notified police last November that Vasquez inappropriately touched a female student. They were also told of an incident in the past when another female student was grabbed on her chest and rear end by Vasquez.

One girl, 17, said Vasquez inappropriately grabbed her several times. When she told him “no,” police said, Vasquez would laugh and make dirty jokes.

A third girl, 16, also said she was grabbed by him.

Vasquez gave police text messages he sent to one of the girls, showing he asked her to lie about the incidents if she were called into the office. The girl said she wouldn’t lie, and Vasquez said he did not care because he is not scared of anyone and they could meet the end of his blade.

Vough scheduled Vasquez’s sentencing for Nov. 1, and he will be allowed to apply for home confinement. Assistant District Attorney Brittany Quinn requested mental health evaluation and sexual counseling be a part of his sentencing.

He remains out on $25,000 unsecured bail, meaning he’ll only have to pay if he fails to appear at his next court hearing.

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By Patrick Kernan

[email protected]

Reach Patrick Kernan at 570-991-6386 or on Twitter @PatKernan