CLARION CO., Pa. (EYT) – A 74-year-old Sligo man is facing charges after he allegedly impersonated a state constable and then groped a woman in Clarion earlier this month.

Court documents indicate the Clarion-based State Police filed criminal charges against 74-year-old Harry Billotte, of Sligo.

Around 3:41 p.m. on Friday, May 4, Trooper Jarrett was dispatched to a reported sexual assault at a location on South 4th Avenue in Clarion, according to a criminal complaint.

Upon arrival, Trooper Jarrett made contact with a known female victim on the front porch of her residence. The victim stated that she was walking on Grand Avenue in Clarion when an older gentleman, later identified as Harry Nicholas Billotte, in a gold van stopped her and asked if she needed a ride home. Billotte identified himself as a state constable and told the victim his name was Harry.

Due to the fact that the victim believed Billotte was a state constable, she loaded her stroller in the rear compartment of the vehicle and got into the front passenger seat.

According to the complaint, the victim stated that as they approached a stop sign on South 4th Avenue, Billotte asked if it would be alright if he “could feel her breasts. The victim replied no, that she was uncomfortable with that, and Billotte replied he could respect that.”

The victim said that upon arriving at her residence, as she was about to exit the vehicle, “Billotte reached over, shoved his hand down her shirt and into her bra on both sides, and began to grope her chest,” the complaint indicates.

The victim stated that during the assault, Billotte said, “You have some nice firm [deleted]”, according to the complaint.

The victim said she then grabbed the door handle to exit the vehicle and Billotte put his hand on her thigh and said, “Have a nice day, Babe,” the complaint states.

The victim quickly retrieved her stroller from the rear of the vehicle and went inside her residence.

During Trooper Jarrett’s interview with the victim, on the front porch or her residence, she spotted Billotte in the van that the assault took place on the next road over. Troopers Allison and Jarrett performed a traffic stop on the van and made contact with Billotte.

Billotte identified himself as a state constable and told the officers that he was coming up to make sure everything was okay.

Trooper Allison contacted Clarion EOS to get a list of PA State Constables in Clarion County.

The troopers asked Billotte to come to the Clarion station to talk about the incident to which he agreed.

Trooper Allison removed Billotte’s constable badge, at which time Billotte was told the officers would be checking the list of constables to see if he was listed as a state constable.

Billotte told Trooper Allison “Go ahead and take it, I can just buy another one,” according to the complaint.

Upon Billotte’s arrival at PSP Clarion, Trooper Jarrett read him his Miranda Warning. Billotte related he would not sign anything but openly spoke about the incident, stating he was involved. He also emphasized the fact that he is a state constable but he could not provide any credentials.

According to the complaint, Billotte was inconsistent with his version of the chain of events. Each version of the incident, he only focused on the beginning of the incident, when he picked the victim up, and what he did after he dropped her off. He consistently left out the part of the incident where the physical assault took place.

Billotte told the troopers that “his wife had passed away approximately five years ago and he was lonely. He also said that he was in the process of trying to find a new wife,” the complaint states.

According to the complaint, after further questioning, Billotte admitted to asking the victim if he could feel her breasts. He also provided a very detailed description of the victim’s breast but claimed he did not touch her.

The complaint also notes that during the interview, Billotte showed several signs of nervousness and began to change the subject frequently.

Based on the investigation, the following charges were filed on Thursday, May 24, in Magisterial District Judge Duane L. Quinn’s office:

– Indecent Assault-Without Consent Of Other, Misdemeanor 2
– Impersonating A Public Servant, Misdemeanor 2

A preliminary arraignment is scheduled for 1:45 p.m. on Monday, June 4, with Judge Quinn presiding.