A registered “lifetime sex offender” was ordered to stand trial after a 12-year-old girl testified Tuesday at a preliminary hearing that he offered her $200 to have sex with him in the parking lot of the South Bethlehem McDonald’s on Nov. 3, according to The Express-Times.
Joseph Frank Gering, 63, was ordered to stand trial on charges of prostitution, promoting prostitution, corruption of minors, criminal solicitation and drunk driving by District Judge Nancy Matos Gonzalez.
Matos-Gonzalez threw out other charges relating to a second victim, a 16-year-old girl who did not attend the hearing. Those charges may be re-filed.
The criminal complaint against Gering lists his address as 105 N. Fifth St. in Emmaus, which is the Emmaus Post Office where Gering has a post office box.
The Megan’s Law website, where Gering is registered as an offender, lists his primary residence as 1701 Catasauqua Road, Hanover Township, Lehigh County – The Scottish Inn & Suites.
Gering currently resides at Northampton County Prison, where he is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail.
According to court papers, the two girls got into Gering’s SUV after he pulled into the restaurant parking lot at 442 Wyandotte St. The older girl left the vehicle after Gering offered the girls $100 “to hang out with him,” the records say.
But the 12-year-old stayed and Gering offered her $200 for sex. She said no.
According to the records, Gering told her, “I want to have sex with you, you’re beautiful.”
The criminal complaint also says the following: