PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The manager of a Five Below in Bucks County is accused of sexually assaulting one of his employees.
Edward Eisenhard, 37, was arrested and charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse forcible compulsion, aggravated indecent assault without consent, and related offenses.
The incident happened on Sept. 27 at the Five Below store off Route 113, near Route 309, in Souderton.
According to a criminal complaint, the woman told police that Eisenhard asked her to help clean the stockroom. While in the room, investigators said he made lewd comments to her, restrained her, and assaulted her.
“She felt powerless or helpless, as she told us,” Hilltown Township Detective James Towhey told NBC10.
The woman told investigators that Eisenhard later said to her, “You know you could have said no at any point, if you did not want anything.”
Later that night, officials said Eisenhard restrained her again in the breakroom. She reported the incidents to police.
The next day, investigators asked the victim to call Eisenhard while they listened. Towhey said during the call, Eisenhard admitted to kissing her without her consent.
“Did I ask you to kiss me?” the woman asked Eisenhard during the call, according to police.
“No,” the criminal complaint says he replied, “and that is why I am apologizing for it.”
“I give a ton of credit to the victim,” Towhey said. “In all these cases, it takes a lot for a victim to come forward, report things, especially of this nature.”
In addition to working at Five Below, Eisenhard also volunteers at his local fire department, the Palisades Regional Fire Rescue, in Springtown.
Hilltown Township police are asking anyone with more information on Eisenhard to contact them.
Police say he restrained the victim in a stockroom
Police say he restrained the victim in a stockroom
