PARKER TWP — A township man, behind bars on $100,000 bond, is accused of sexually assaulting two young girls at his home.

State police Friday arrested 66-year-old Gary J. Grove for the suspected crimes between 2015 and 2018. He is facing 20 charges — 12 of them felonies.

The investigation began Sept. 3 when authorities received a ChildLine report of suspected child abuse, police said.

During a Sept. 9 interview by a Butler County Alliance for Children staff member, one of the victims recounted that the defendant assaulted her and also took photos of her nude and in lewd positions.

Police said they believed those acts began when the child was 4 and continued until she was 7.

The girl said Grove also threatened her, warning her that if she told anyone “he would kill her, her dogs, pets, and whole entire family,” according to charging documents.

Police said they subsequently learned of a second victim, who was interviewed Sept. 12 by an Alliance for Children representative. The child detailed how the defendant sexually assaulted her, documents said.

The girl was believed to be 2 or 3 when the assaults began, according to police.

“He would tell her,” documents said, “that she would be in big trouble if she told anybody.”

District Judge Lewis Stoughton arraigned Grove on charges of statutory sexual assault, two counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, four counts of aggravated indecent assault, sexual abuse of children, and two counts each of unlawful contact with a minor and corruption of minors, all felonies.

He also was arraigned on seven misdemeanor counts of indecent assault and a misdemeanor charge of terroristic threats.

At his video-arraignment, Grove told Stoughton that he is widowed and has two adult children.

Grove's preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 24 at Stoughton's office in Chicora. It was not known if the defendant has an attorney.

Gary Grove