EMPORIUM (EC) — An Emporium man pleaded guilty on Tuesday in Cameron County Court to charges stemming from his relationship with a teenage girl.

Thomas F. Barton, 63, of Emporium, entered a guilty plea to one felony count of indecent deviate sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 16 and one felony count of aggravated indecent assault stemming from incidents that occurred between January and July of 2015 at 210 East Fifth St. in Emporium Borough.

The recitation of facts indicated that Barton had sexual contact with the minor female, who was 14- or 15-years-old at the time.

The information was uncovered during an investigation into inappropriate text messages being sent between former Emporium Borough Police Sgt. Frances Johnson and a juvenile female. During the investigation, text messages between Barton and the juvenile were uncovered.

Sentencing will not be completed until the results of an assessment by the Sexual Offenders Assessment Board have been received. A sentencing recommendation of 48 months to 10 years in jail for the indecent deviate sexual intercourse charge and two to four years on the aggravated sexual assault charge was included in the negotiated plea arrangement, but sanctions will not be officially laid out until the sentencing hearing.

Prior to sentencing, a pre-sentence investigation report must also be compiled, and Judge Richard Masson mandated that a forensic mental health examination be included.

Barton will likely be credited for time served since his arrest on Sept. 11, 2015 and additional time that will accrue while waiting for assessments to be completed.

The sexual offenders’ assessment can take up to 90 days to complete. There may also be other proceedings needed depending on the findings, Masson said. Evaluations being handled through the pre-sentence investigation are to be completed by May.

Barton had been scheduled for jury selection next week, with Tuesday’s jury call proceedings being the last opportunity for him to accept a plea arrangement.