An Erie man was sentenced Thursday in Butler County Common Pleas Court to serve 36 months of probation and pay fines after pleading guilty to charges Zelienople police filed for harassing an employee at a Harmony business.

Preston C. Edmands, 41, was sentenced to serve three consecutive 12-month terms of probation, pay fines totaling $500, continue with mental health treatment, have no contact with the victim and avoid the Bottlebrush Gallery after pleading guilty to three misdemeanor charges of harassment.

Judge Joseph Kubit remotely sentenced Edmands, who was at the Butler County Prison, where he has been held on $45,000 bond since he was arrested March 28, the day of the incident.

According to Zelienople police, officers responded to the Main Street business in Harmony for a report of a man causing a disturbance and found a woman crying, shaking and having difficulty breathing.

She told police Edmands had visited the business at least three times that day and attempted to walk behind the counter the last time he was there. She said Edmands made multiple comments to her about “getting more comfortable upstairs” and grabbed her wrist forcefully, police said.

The woman told police Edmands told her she had to leave Harmony, had four days to “shape up,” and he would be back in two days to see her nude, according to an affidavit.

Police said Edmands visited the business again about 10 minutes after they left, and the woman locked the door and called 911.