Charges withdrawn against woman accused of sexually abusing 2 children in West Deer

Criminal charges were withdrawn against a Hampton woman Allegheny County Police accused of sexually abusing two children in West Deer.

The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office withdrew 10 charges, including rape and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, filed against Iris Schmidt, 21, late last year, according to online court records.

The charges were withdrawn on Nov. 18, the same day a preliminary hearing was scheduled, court records show. That preliminary hearing was not held.

Neither Schmidt nor her court-appointed attorney, Rachael C. Arieanna Santoriella, could immediately be reached for comment.

Allegheny County Police said in a criminal complaint filed against Schmidt that they were notified about the alleged abuse on Oct. 24, 2019, after the children reported it to Childline, a child abuse reporting hotline.

The children, a boy and a girl, were 14 and 16 when they reported the alleged assaults, the complaint said. The alleged assaults occurred at a West Deer address.

Mike Manko, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office, said evidentiary issues made it impossible to move forward with the prosecution. He wouldn’t say what those issues were. Allegheny County Police declined to comment.

Online court records show a preliminary hearing had been postponed multiple times since charges were first filed on Dec. 12, 2019. Manko said scheduling conflicts, defense preparation and coronavirus-related issues were reasons for the postponements.