Michael A. Chittester, a former Bradford man who was facing child rape charges in Elk and McKean County, has been found guilty.
Also, two new criminal cases were filed in Elk County due to his alleged behavior during the trial days.
A three-day trial was held Nov. 6-8 at the Elk County Courthouse in Ridgway. The jury heard the testimony for both the Elk and McKean cases.
Police reported at the time of Chittester’s arrest that the Elk County charges stemmed from allegations that he raped a 10-year-old and molested a 5-year-old over a period of about four years. Meanwhile, the McKean County charges stemmed from allegations that on one occasion Chittester parked his truck at a camp in Hamilton Township and raped a 10-year-old girl, according to court records filed at the time of his arrest.
On Nov. 8, Ridgway Borough Police filed two new cases against him. In each he is charged with a single count of disorderly conduct, a third-degree misdemeanor.
According to police, at 4:25 p.m. Nov. 6, Chittester told an Elk County sheriff’s deputy that he would find out where the deputy lives and follow him home. Police said the statements were made immediately following the first day of Chittester’s trial “in an effort to intimidate the deputy.”
The deputy was at the courthouse to provide security during the trial.
Then, about 11:38 a.m. Nov. 7 — during a break on the second day of the trial — in the courthouse parking area, “Chittester made inappropriate and alarming comments about a Commonwealth witness in the presence of several other witnesses,” police stated.
Police did not release further information on the nature of the statements.
A preliminary hearing on the two new cases is scheduled for 1 p.m. Dec. 11 before District Judge James Martin.
There is a third pending case against Chittester, too.
He is charged in Elk County with conspiracy-intimidate witness/victim and criminal use of a communication facility, both third-degree felonies. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Dec. 16.
The DuBois Courier Express reported that Chittester is accused of contacting people to try to get a victim to change her story.
Court records indicate Chittester is currently serving a term of probation for bad checks charges out of Huntingdon County.
