Hartly Volunteer Fire Company officer charged with groping teen girl starting in November

Esteban Parra | The News Journal

The Hartly Volunteer Fire Company vice president has been charged with repeatedly groping a 17-year-old girl, state police said on Thursday.

The teen girl contacted state investigators last month to say she'd been sexually assaulted by 72-year-old John Allen Metheny Sr., between November and April, according to Master Cpl. Gary Fournier, a state police spokesman, and court documents obtained by The News Journal.

The victim told investigators that Metheny continuously groped her breasts and buttocks on numerous occasions while the two were alone at different locations, Fournier said. A few of those incidents occurred while the two were out of sight from other people at the Hartly Volunteer Fire Company, located at 2898 Arthursville Road.

"Each time, the 17-year-old victim would inform Metheny of her displeasure in him touching her and tell him to stop," Fournier said.

Metheny touched her one last time in April, after which the teen warned him that if did it again she would call police, according to court records.

The teen girl, however, reported the assaults to investigators on May 15 because "she felt really scared," court records state. The touching would always occur over her clothing.

Metheny was interviewed on Wednesday by state police and admitted to touching the girl's buttocks and "underneath of her breasts" at least six times, but "acknowledged it may have been approximately 10 times," according to court documents.

He denied "placing his hands over the top of [the victim's] breasts," the documents state.

Metheny, of Hartly, was then charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child. He was released on $30,000 unsecured bail.

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Neither Metheny or officials from the Hartly Fire Company returned calls seeking comment Thursday morning.

In addition to being an official with the Hartly Fire Company, Metheny also is treasurer of the Delaware Volunteer Firefighter's Association and secretary and treasurer of the National Volunteer Fire Council.

Reporter Brittany Horn contributed to this story.

Contact Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299, eparra@delawareonline.com or Twitter @eparra3.