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WILKES-BARRE — A Pittston man pleaded guilty on Thursday to a charge stemming from allegations he assaulted a group home resident in July.
William Harry Hontz II, 38, appeared before Luzerne County Judge Michael T. Vough, admitting to a misdemeanor count of indecent assault by threat of forcible compulsion.
Hontz had been employed as a direct support professional for Pennsylvania Mentor, which operates the group home. Police said he performed a sex act on an adult male resident at the residence in Kingston.
According to the original criminal complaint, police responded to the group home in early July after receiving a report that Hontz had had inappropriate contact with the resident.
When police arrived, they were told by administrative personnel that the resident was engaged in the dating website Badoo. While using the app on a cellphone, the resident said Hontz masturbated him and took pictures using the cellphone.
Police recovered the phone for forensic analysis, and Hontz agreed to an interview with police in early August. During the interview, Hontz admitted he had inappropriate contact with the resident, both in person and via the internet.
Vough accepted Hontz’s guilty plea on Thursday, and scheduled Hontz’s sentencing for Dec. 20. Until then, he remains out on $10,000 unsecured bail, which means he will only pay if he fails to appear at his next court hearing.