Man Accused of Having Sex With Teenage Girls
A 35-year-old Falls Township man was arrested late last week on charges he had sex with two high-school aged girls.
Benjamin Gartside, 35, in his prison mugshot.
Bucks County Department of Corrections
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Two teens say that a 35-year-old Falls Township man had sex with them in the months of October and November.
Benjamin Gartside, 35, of the Morrisville section of the township was arrested Friday on two counts of felony statutory sexual assault on a minor, aggravated indecent sexual assault, corruption of minors, child pornography and other offenses.
The incidents were uncovered when the parents of a 15-year-old made a report with township authorities in early December stating their underage daughter and Gartside had allegedly engaged in a sexual relationship, a criminal complaint said.
The teen told police she had first engaged in sexual activity with Gartside at a Falls motel and later at his trailer home on Chandler Drive and several times in a wooded area nearby his home during the month of November.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Gartside used a cell phone camera to videotape himself performing oral and vaginal sex on the 15-year-old Falls Township teen.
The teen told investigators the 35-year-old encouraged her to create a Google Gmail account and communicate secretly with him. The teen sent several pictures of herself in a “state of undress” and Gartside asked her to send naked photos, the police complaint states.
Two days after the 15-year-old’s parents reported the alleged molestation to police, a 14-year-old said she had been having a sexual relationship with Gartside.
The teen told police that on one occasion in October he groped her and performed a sexual act.
Police also stated in their affidavit that on Halloween Garside gave the girl a “off-white” pill that made her “drowsy. “ On that night, police report he had sex with her.
Both teens were in the presence of Gartside when he was involved in “illegal drug activity” and accompanied him on drug runs to Philadelphia, the complaint said.
According to his inmate information card from county jail in Doylestown, the 35-year-old is divorced.
Gartside was arraigned Saturday before Penndel District Justice Daniel Baranoski and sent to jail in lieu of $500,000 cash bail.
concerned citizen
6:20 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Wow trailer park trash! Time to clean up the neighborhood,,
Mommabear of 5
11:06 am on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Yes the guy is a dirt bag, but it seems like he may have been taking advantage of a couple girls that had nothing else to do but hang out with him. Honestly,...where did mom and dad think their girls were while this was happening all this time?
Diane
12:51 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
How is it rape if the girls were willing participants? Yes I do think its disgusting to have sex with teenagers but he didn't rape them and I also think their parents are just as responsible where were they when the girls were running around town
Anonymous
2:36 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Rape is more than forced sex. Rape is also an adult having sex with an underaged person, because their minds aren't developed enough to be able to legally consent.
siobhan
3:36 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Where were the parents during all this? Sounds to me like a case of bad parenting
I love you
12:53 pm on Wednesday, December 26, 2012
yes he did a bad thing but he did not rape anyone thay came back for more so you have to look at the girs and the parents but when you have girl all over you sending you picks bad thing happin to bad girl
kevin knox
5:31 am on Saturday, December 29, 2012
dude is a predator, whoever wrote that last comment is an asshole, dont stick up mfor this scumbag piece of shit, he'll get whats coming to him in the state prison, THAT IS A FACT!!!!
i love you
12:47 pm on Saturday, January 12, 2013
he has a family and people love him he is a good man
P. A. M.
2:21 pm on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
@i love you : didn't know they let pervs have access to Internet in jail. Grow some morals, have some shame.
His family is also victims of his crime. What he did was illegal and for good reason. Pedophiles and their apologists are trash, not "good men."
Steve-o
8:19 am on Tuesday, March 26, 2013
What a dirtbag! He took advantage of 2 girls drugged them and them had sex with them! And yes where are the girls parents during all of this??? But he should of know better since he was the adult! Its sad what drugs can do to a person and there family and then you have idots "i love you" that support him! Its a sick world we live in!
my friend
9:48 am on Wednesday, April 3, 2013
funny that it came out that t was not all trow