NORRISTOWN – A Philadelphia man admitted that he had indecent contact with two teenage girls with whom he worked at an Upper Moreland business and now he awaits his fate from a judge.
Gregory Antonio Roach, 23, of the 1500 block of Orland Street, pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Court to charges of indecent assault by forcible compulsion and false imprisonment of a minor in connection with incidents that occurred with two girls, ages 16 and 17, in November 2018 while he worked at the Dunkin Donuts on Easton Road in the Willow Grove section of Upper Moreland.
Roach was 20 years old at the time of the incidents which occurred between Nov. 7 and Nov. 25, 2018.
Judge Thomas C. Branca deferred sentencing so that court officials can complete a background investigation report about Roach, who must undergo a psychosexual evaluation before the sentencing hearing. The judge tentatively scheduled a sentencing hearing for Oct. 6.
Roach faces a possible maximum sentence of nine to 23 months in jail on the charges.
Assistant District Attorney Lauren Marvel is handling the case.
Roach, who is represented by defense lawyer William Spade, remains free on bail pending his sentencing hearing.
An investigation of Roach began on Nov. 27, 2018, when Upper Moreland police received a ChildLine referral that a 16-year-old girl was sexually abused at her place of employment, the Dunkin Donuts in the 1000 block of Easton Road, by an adult co-worker, according to the criminal complaint.
When police and child social workers interviewed the 16-year-old girl she revealed that Roach touched her inappropriately, kissed her on the neck, pinned her against a wall and pressed his body up against her in a back room of the business and choked her with two hands as he had indecent contact with her, according to the arrest affidavit filed by Upper Moreland Police Officer Todd C. Smith.
“(The victim) tried to get his hands off of her, but he was strong. (The victim) described this as hurting and feeling like he was pushing in on her neck. (The victim) said it was hard to breathe and she could not speak,” Smith alleged in the criminal complaint.
When police interviewed Roach on Dec. 19, he confirmed that he had worked at the Dunkin Donuts in November but was fired after another girl, who was 17, “complained that he was missing around with her,” according to court papers. Roach allegedly admitted at that time that he had physical contact with the 17-year-old girl by hugging her from behind, lifting her up and squeezing her.
The 17-year-old victim subsequently told police that while she was working with Roach on Nov. 22, Roach called her into the back room of the shop, touched her inappropriately, tried to kiss her and when she tried to push him away he pulled her into a freezer and blocked the door with his body, according to the arrest affidavit.
Roach proceeded to have indecent contact with the second victim as she attempted to get out of the freezer.
“(The victim) made numerous attempts to get out of the freezer. (The victim) tried to push ‘Greg’ out of the way but ‘Greg’ would push and shove her back. (The victim) curled into a ball on the floor of the freezer. (The victim) needed to fake an asthma attack, telling ‘Greg’ that she could not breathe before he finally let her out of the freezer,” Smith alleged.
When he was questioned by police about his contact with the 16-year-old victim, Roach allegedly admitted that he hugged the girl from the front and back, kissed her on the cheek, pinned her against a wall and pressed his body against her. Roach admitted that the girl “had told him not to touch her,” police said.
Other charges of aggravated indecent assault, sexual assault, simple assault and strangulation are slated to be dismissed against Roach at time of sentencing.
