State police at Hazleton arrested a man from Hazleton on allegations he provided marijuana and alcohol to two teenage girls and engaged in sexual encounters with one of the girls.
Laquan A. Copeland, 36, of East Ninth Street, engaged in a sexual relationship with a teenage girl at several motels in the Hazleton area from December to April, according to court records.
Copeland was arraigned Friday by District Judge James M. Dixon in Hazle Township on two criminal complaints, charging him with 11 total counts of corruption of minors, and two counts each of statutory sexual assault and indecent assault. Copeland was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $150,000 total bail.
According to the criminal complaints:
State police on April 29 received a report of a suspected sexual assault involving a teenage girl.
The girl was questioned by a forensic interviewer at the Luzerne County Children’s Advocacy Center in Wilkes-Barre, where she provided details of the alleged offenses.
She claimed she met Copeland at the Laurel Mall in Hazle Township and the two exchanged phone numbers. Copeland allegedly told the girl he was 32 and later 39 years old.
State police said the girl reported Copeland took her to motels in the Hazleton area, where they engaged in sex acts and where Copeland provided alcohol and marijuana.
The investigation revealed Copeland had a marijuana prescription card, making purchases at a marijuana dispensary in Hazle Township.
A second teenage girl was questioned by a forensic interviewer at the Children’s Advocacy Center claiming she met Copeland at a mall and was invited to motels with the other teen girl to smoke marijuana, consume alcohol and was asked to participate in sex acts, which she denied, the complaints say.
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