CORNWALL, Pa. — Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Hess Graf on Tuesday announced the arrest of a Lebanon County woman charged as an accomplice in the alleged sexual abuse of a young girl.
Ariel Hiestand, of Cornwall, has been charged along with Edward Williams, who was arrested last week on charges that he sexually abused the girl, Graf said.
When she learned of the sexual abuse, Hiestand allegedly told the victim she would once again need to subject herself to Williams' abuse so that Hiestand could obtain video of it.
When Williams sexually assaulted the girl again, Hiestand allegedly took video of the abuse and showed the footage to another person, who was also a minor, authorities claim.
In a forensic interview with investigators, the child allegedly described the abuse Williams subjected her to, which included inappropriate touching of her chest, legs, buttocks and genitals.
The abuse occurred whenever the child was with Williams for "movie night," the victim allegedly told authorities.
Police interviewed two other children about the allegations, and learned that Hiestand knew of the sexual abuse, encouraged it to occur again and took video of it, according to Graf.
Hiestand allegedly admitted her actions to members of the Lebanon County Detective Bureau and showed them the video, Graf said.
Williams is charged with rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse of a child, aggravated indecent assault of a child and unlawful contact with a minor, according to Graf. He was arraigned before Magisterial Justice Kim R. Wolfe, who set bail at $500,000.
Hiestand is charged as an accomplice. She was arrested last Friday and arraigned before Wolfe, who set bail at $100,000.
