OIL CITY, Pa. (EYT) – A Venango County man is in jail on rape and related charges.
(Pictured above: Eric Beichner with his attorney, Allison Hartle, as they walked to the Venango County Courthouse on June 27.)
(Photos by Gavin Fish)
According to court documents, 27 years old Eric Francis Beichnerof Oil City, was arraigned Wednesday, June 28 at 2:30 p.m. before Magisterial District Judge Andrew F. Fish on the following charges:
Rape Forcible, felony 1 Involuntary sexual intercourse Forcible, felony 1 Aggravated indecent assault – Forcible, felony 2 Incest, felony 2 Indecent assault Forcible, misdemeanor 1
(Eric Beichner arrived at the Venango County Courthouse on June 27 with his attorney, Allison Hartle, and Speak Up Venango supporters, including Speak Up Venango founder Jayme Felmlee.)
Prior to Wednesday, June 28, the case status was classified as inactive. Eric Beichner turned himself into Venango County Sheriff’s deputies at 3:30 pm on Tuesday, June 27, on a warrant for failure to appear in a separate case.
The violation case began on Wednesday, June 28.
According to a criminal complaint filed on May 17, 2023, the victim in this case arrived at PSP Franklin Station on January 21, 2023 at approximately 11:49 am to report a sexual assault.
The victim was taken to an interview room at PSP Franklin where her statement was recorded. The victim was shown the cameras in the interview room, as well as a Sony digital voice recorder sitting on the table. The victim was advised that the interview was to be recorded and agreed to the recording, according to the complaint.
At approximately 12:11 p.m., the victim and an officer began talking about the incident. The victim told the officer where he currently lives and that he was there to tell him about a sexual assault that took place at his home, the complaint states.
The victim related that the incident took place in the living room of her residence on her 21st birthday nearly two years earlier, the complaint states.
According to the complaint, the victim stated to the officer that he had not yet fully moved into the residence and that he did not yet have a bed made in his room. He said he had been sleeping on a recliner in the living room. He described the residence to the officer and said this was his first residence where he lived alone.
The victim told the police that he had started moving into his apartment the month before the alleged assault. He said he was currently on disability and has a social worker which is how he found and paid for the apartment. He indicated that he has a mood disorder that is affected by stress, which causes him to contract. The interview, he said, was stressing him out, the complaint states.
The victim contacted the police officer with whom he had not spoken Eric Beichner in almost two years. He claimed that the last time Eric Beichner spoke to him, Eric threatened to kill him. She said she has had an active protection from abuse (PFA) on Eric since August 2021. She claimed the threat was made shortly after the alleged rape occurred, according to the complaint.
The officer asked the victim if he was “here to report that Eric raped him on his 21st birthday.” The victim stated, “It’s not the first time, but yes,” according to the complaint.
The victim told the officer that the last time she saw Eric, he had a messy beard and brownish blonde hair, the complaint continues.
(Eric Beichner walks into the Venango County Courthouse on June 27 with his attorney, Allison Hartle, and Speak Up Venango supporters to be served a “no-appearance” warrant from another case.)
The victim stated that since it was his 21st birthday, he and Eric walked to the Fine Wine and Spirits store in Oil City and purchased alcohol. He stated that the store is located near the Oil City Police Department. He claimed they didn’t have ID at the time, so they gave money to a stranger outside to buy them what they wanted, the complaint states.
The victim said they returned to his apartment with the alcohol.
“He got me drunk,” the victim noted.
He claimed it was the first time in his life that he had drunk alcohol, so he felt intoxicated, the complaint added.
The victim said it was daytime when they consumed the alcohol and believed it was late afternoon. He said he remembered drinking Pinnacle Vodka and Strawberry Daiquiris. She stated to the trooper that she did not know if it was her idea or Eric’s to get the alcohol, according to the complaint.
The victim told police she was drunk that night, so she “doesn’t remember all the details of the incident,” according to the complaint.
To his best estimate, the entire sexual episode lasted approximately 10 to 15 minutes, according to the victim. She stated that Eric left the residence about 10 minutes after the assault, the complaint states.
(Eric Beichner was arrested on June 27 after turning himself in.)
The victim explained that she thought Eric never said anything to her on the night of the incident. She indicated that when Eric threatened to kill her, Eric told her to “shut up about the rape,” according to the complaint.
The victim testified that other than telling the police, she has only talked to her therapist about some of the details.
The policeman asked the victim what made him report the incident that day and not earlier, as it happened two years earlier. The victim stated, “To be honest, I feel like I’ve been processing him. I’ve been struggling with suicidal thoughts, and I’ve finally gotten to the point where if I don’t say anything, it’s going to get worse,” according to the complaint.
The officer explained to the victim that he was there to help and that there was help for him as well. The victim broke down and began to cry uncontrollably, stating, “I hate feeling like the victim,” the complaint states.
The victim told police he was willing to testify against (Beichner) for now, but is “terrified to death,” according to the complaint.
(Eric Beichner is arrested by sheriff’s deputies shortly after arriving at the Venango County Courthouse on June 27.)
The complaint states that the victim stated that he was afraid to go to the state police that day, but that he was being honest.
According to the complaint, the victim claimed there are cameras near her home, and the officer said he would ask about video surveillance.
The victim also stated that the night before the incident she was with Eric and they went to a friend’s house in Oil City. He claimed they smoked pot that night, but couldn’t remember the location, the complaint says.
The victim stated, “I regret every second of hanging out with him … Nothing happened the first night we went out,” the complaint states.
(Eric Beichner is arrested by sheriff’s deputies shortly after arriving at the Venango County Courthouse on June 27.)
The interview ended at 12:46
According to the complaint, multiple attempts have been made to interview the accused (Eric Beichner) with negative results.
Franklin-based state police filed criminal charges against Beichner in Judge Fish’s office on May 17, 2023.
Beichner was booked into the Venango County Jail on June 28, 2023, without bond. The reason for the bail action was listed as: “Threatening the victim, previous record.”
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 12 at 8:30 a.m. with Judge Fish presiding.
EDITOR’S NOTE 1: Extreme graphic details were not included due to the sexual nature of the alleged crimes.
EDITOR’S NOTE 2: Various details were removed from this article to help protect the victim’s identity.
Copyright © 2023 EYT Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of the contents of this service is expressly prohibited without the express written consent of EYT Media Group, Inc.
