Lansdale Counselor Arrested For Indecent Assault On 14-Year-Old Girl

A 73-year-old Lansdale counselor was arrested and charged for Indecent Assault on a 14-year-old girl, the Montgomery County District Attorney office announced.

Bernard Rivas of the Lansdale section of Upper Gwynedd Township, was arrested on March 19, and also faces charges of Endangering the Welfare of Children and Corruption of a Minor.

Rivas, a licensed counselor who works with clients in his home office, has advertisements specifically mentioning his work regarding teens in crisis, according to the District Attorney’s office on March 24.

The Upper Gwynedd Township Police received a complaint of Rivas inappropriately touching the victim on Feb. 27. She had repeatedly been in the presence of Rivas as a client.

The teen-ager was interviewed by a forensic interview at the Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center when she provided the details of the assaults, which included touching of her “intimate areas of her body,” said the press release.

Rivas was released after posting 10% of the $5,000 bail amount. He was ordered to have no unsupervised contact with children.

A preliminary hearing is set for 1 p.m. on March 30 in front of Magisterial District Judge Robert Sobeck.

If anyone has information relating to the defendant’s activities, they are encouraged to call the Upper Gwynedd Township Police (215-699-5861) or the Montgomery County Detective Bureau (610-278-3368).