District attorney ends lie detector deal in molestation case

BUTLER, Pa. (AP) - A district attorney has rejected a proposed lie detector deal for a man charged with molesting two young girls at a day care center operated by his wife.

An assistant Butler County prosecutor had offered to let Roger Young, 65, take a polygraph test instead of having a preliminary hearing Tuesday. Under the deal - approved by Young's attorney - the charges would have been sent to trial if Young failed the test and dropped if he passed.

But District Attorney Richard Goldinger said he wasn't aware of the deal and nixed it when he learned of it.

"The agreement is not appropriate and doesn't achieve justice for the victims in the alleged crime," Goldinger said Thursday.

Young is charged with corruption of minors and indecent assault. State police say he inappropriately touched two girls, 3 and 4, at the Patti Cake Child Care Center in Oakland Township in November 2010.

In 2011, a girl accused Young of touching her inappropriately while she sat on his lap in a rocking chair and said she also saw Young touch another girl. State police eventually got surveillance video from the day care that they say showed Young touching a girl while lying down and lifting another little girl's shirt and touching her inappropriately. They filed charges in August.

Young has denied wrongdoing. Defense attorney Michael Zunder didn't immediately return a call for comment Friday.

Goldinger rejected the polygraph deal after speaking with the investigating trooper as well as Assistant District Attorney Russ Karl, who proposed the arrangement.

"He explained to me why he did what he did," Goldinger said, declining to elaborate.

While assistant prosecutors have some discretion, Goldinger said he should be consulted in more serious cases.

"I had no idea it was made, and I wasn't consulted about it or asked if it was acceptable to me," Goldinger said.

The preliminary hearing has yet to be rescheduled.