First of 6 accusers testifies as rape trial of Allegheny Township man begins

A Westmoreland County prosecutor on Tuesday told jurors the case against an Allegheny Township man charged with rape and sexual assault based on allegations from six accusers was “messy.”

“This is a case of a sexual predator who hid in secret for more than a decade who was brought down by a child,” Assistant District Attorney Christina Gongaware said during her opening statement to jurors in the retrial of Eric Wright.

Wright, 50, is charged with sex crimes against six females, including a teen who claims he raped her when she was 12.

That accuser testified Tuesday that Wright raped her three times.

Prosecutors claim Wright’s alleged crimes started in the early 2000s and continued until his youngest accuser came forward with her allegations three years ago. Additional accusers surfaced after Wright was charged in 2019, including two women now in their early 30s who contend Wright molested them as teenagers.

The Tribune-Review does not identify alleged victims of sexual assault.

Gongaware said Wright also is accused of raping a woman in a local business, and another who claimed she was sexually assaulted in a car after being given a ride by Wright and a second time at her home.

A sixth accuser claims Wright raped her after he came into her home under the guise of collecting money for a car repair.

In all, Wright is facing more than two dozen charges including rape, aggravated assault and other offenses of a sexual nature.

Gongaware told jurors Wright preyed on vulnerable victims without strong support systems, including several who might have struggled with drug addiction.

Wright was tried last fall for the same offenses. After a week of testimony in September, Common Pleas Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio declared a mistrial when jurors were unable to reach a verdict after 14 hours of deliberations.

Since that trial, Wright has changed lawyers.

New defense attorney Emily Smarto told jurors no physical evidence supports the allegations against Wright.

She suggested the claims made by the accusers were part of an effort to secure some of a $350,000 out-of-court settlement Wright received after sustaining a work-related injury.

“They have a severe lack of evidence,” Smarto said.

Testimony in the trial will resume Wednesday.