FRANKLIN, Pa. (EYT) — Charges have been filed against a Franklin man who allegedly called in a false report of child abuse and also asked a child to lie about being abused.

Court documents indicate the Venango County Detectives filed criminal charges against 39-year-old Christopher Jay Arthur, of Franklin.

According to a criminal complaint, on June 12, Detective Swatzler was contacted by Officer Culp of the Oil City Police Department who advised his department had been conducting a simple assault investigation in conjunction with Children and Youth Services (CYS). Officer Culp said that on June 9, CYS caseworkers were accompanied by Oil City Police to check on the welfare of a five-year-old who was allegedly choked by her step-father, based on a report made by Christopher Arthur, who called Childline.

According to the complaint, when CYS caseworkers spoke to the child, “the child said her daddy, (Christopher Arthur), wanted her to lie and say that her step-father put his hands around her neck and squeezed.”

The complaint also notes that during a later forensic interview, the child again stated that “her daddy (Arthur) told her to say that her step-father squeezed her neck and went on to say that her step-father never squeezed her neck and that her daddy made her lie. The child said she was at her baseball game when her daddy wanted her to lie.”

According to the complaint, Arthur was later interviewed and denied instructing the child to lie.

The following charges were filed against Arthur through Magisterial District Judge Matthew T. Kirtland’s office on Tuesday, July 9:

False Reports of Child Abuse, Misdemeanor 2 (two counts)

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on August 7, in Venango County Central Court with Judge Kirtland presiding.