Child porn, other new charges for Sharon teen who found 14-year-old girl dead
A 19-year-old Sharon man already charged with raping a 14-year-old girl who later died now faces 26 new sex-related charges, including child pornography.
The new charges were filed Thursday as Leonard Frye Jr. was scheduled for a court hearing on charges of rape, sexual assault, and corruption of a minor.
Frye Jr. waived that hearing, and the charges were sent to county court for trial.
Those charges were filed last week after authorities say Frye gave the Hermitage girl, marijuana and Suboxone, an opioid - then had sex.
The girl was later found dead.
New charges were filed in the case after investigators found images on Frye’s mobile phone.
Frye faces two counts involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person less than 16, one count of statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault of a person under 16, 12 counts of photographing a child involved in a sex act, and ten counts of child pornography.
Although Mercer County District Attorney Pete Acker is still waiting for toxicology reports from the coroner’s office, authorities suspect the girl may have died from an overdose.
Frye Jr. was arraigned on the new charges Thursday and is scheduled to appear in district court on November 19 for a preliminary hearing.
He remains held in the Mercer County Jail on a $50,000 bond.