Jury seated in trial of Allegheny Township man charged in 6 sex assault cases

A Westmoreland County jury was seated Monday to hear evidence in six cases against an Allegheny Township man charged with sexual assaults against two young children, a teenager and two adults.

Prosecutors contend Eric Alan Wright, 50, raped two children — including one accuser who told police the sexual assaults dated back about two decades — fondled another teenage girl, exposed himself to a 50-year-old woman at her home and, in 2018, raped a woman in her residence.

Wright is charged with rape of a child in one case and, in two other cases, he is charged with rape and other sex acts. In a fourth case, prosecutors filed aggravated indecent assault of a child and other sex offenses; in a fifth case he is charged with indecent assault of a child, indecent exposure and other counts; and in a sixth case he is charged with open lewdness and indecent exposure.

In all, 51 charges were filed against Wright, who has been in jail on $1.1 million in bonds since his arrest last year.

Wright has maintained his innocence. During a previous court hearing, defense attorney William Difenderfer suggested prosecutors will be unable to prove their cases at trial. Prosecutors have called Wright a “serial sex offender.”

Although jury selection is complete, the trial won’t begin for another six weeks.

Testimony before Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio is scheduled to start Sept. 20.