Ex-Istanbul Sofra owner charged with sexual assault to be released from jail

A former Pittsburgh restaurant owner found not guilty of stalking last week and facing a re-trial on sexual assault charges will be released from jail and placed on home electronic monitoring, a judge ruled Monday.

Adnan Pehlivan, 47, had been in the Allegheny County Jail since his $20,000 bond was revoked May 24, nine days after his arrest for allegedly breaking into a woman’s home and sexually assaulting her as she slept.

A jury of eight men and four women deadlocked last week on charges of sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault and burglary. They found him not guilty of stalking and simple assault.

His attorney, Lee Rothman, filed a motion to reinstate bond Thursday.

Pehlivan, the former owner of Regent Square’s Istanbul Sofra, is accused of breaking into a home on Josephine Street in early May. The alleged victim has said she woke to find him performing oral sex on her.

Jury selection for a new trial on the remaining four charges is scheduled to being July 29.