A McKees Rocks man pleaded guilty Monday to simple assault charges days before jury selection was scheduled to begin in his trial for sexually abusing several girls in Cranberry Township.

Francisco Javier Rosalez Melendez, 35, pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor simple assault charges and will be sentenced on Dec. 3 to serve 120 months of probation under terms of a plea agreement.

His trial was scheduled to begin the week of Nov. 16 following jury selection on Nov. 12 or 13 before Judge Maura Palumbi, who accepted the plea agreement and scheduled sentencing.

Cranberry Township police charged Melendez in August 2025 with four counts of rape of a child and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, two counts of corruption of minors and indecent assault of a person under 13 — all felonies — and two misdemeanor counts of indecent exposure. The simple assault charges were added Monday in place of the existing charges.

Police said they were notified in June 2025 of incidents of child sexual abuse involving three girls aged 8, 10 and 17 that took place from September 2023 to July 2024.

Police said the two younger girls said in interviews they were sexually abused on more than one occasion and they were told to touch part of Rosalez Melendez’s body on at least one occasion.

Police said in July 2024, one of the girls was being sexually abused by Rosalez Melendez when one of the other girls walked in the room. Police said Rosalez Melendez left the house after a confrontation and never returned.

With the agreement in place, defense attorney Joseph Hudak withdrew a motion he filed to dismiss the case over the district attorney’s office alleged violation of Melendez’ right to a speedy trial.