Published Thursday, March 14, 2002
HERMITAGE
Hearing postponed for rape suspectThe preliminary hearing for a Sharon man accused of performing oral sex on an 8-year old was continued Wednesday until March 22 in District Justice Henry J. Russo's court.
Scott Wayne Tatta, 33, of 311 N. Oakland Ave., was charged Feb. 27 by Hermitage police with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and aggravated indecent assault.
Police said he had allegedly assaulted the girl between June and December 2000 at a home in the city.
According to a court official, the court date was rescheduled because of a conflict of schedule with Tatta's attorney, Timothy Blatt of Mercer.
If convicted, Tatta could face a maximum of 10 to 20 years each on both the rape and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse charges with a mandatory minimum of 5 years on each charge because the victim is under 16, and 5 to 10 years on the aggravated indecent assault charge, according to Mercer County District Attorney James Epstein.