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BLAIR COUNTY, Pa (WJAC) — State police in Blair County say a Williamsburg man is behind bars following an investigation into allegations that he had repeatedly sexually abused a young, female relative.

Authorities say in March, troopers were contacted to investigate reports of sexual assault involving 54-year-old Gary Chesney and a 13-year-old girl.

Police say the girl and her mother had reportedly moved to the United States, from Russia, in 2016 and began living with Chesney.

According to the affidavit, police say the victim told investigators that Chesney reportedly began touching her inappropriately when she was 9 years old.

Troopers say the alleged abuse reportedly "escalated" to Chesney "forcing" the girl to perform sexual acts on him and making her watch pornography.

Police say the victim also stated that Chesney would allegedly "make deals with her," offering to buy her things in exchange for the alleged sexual acts.

According to the affidavit, the victim told troopers that the alleged assaults occurred at least once or twice per week over a 3-year period.

Police say Chesney reportedly told the girl that they had a "special relationship."

Investigators say they later spoke with five juvenile friends of the victim, who all stated that the girl had confided in them about the alleged abuse.

Police say troopers also spoke with another female relative of Chesney, who accused him of being "physically abusive" when she was a child.

Investigators say the relative, who is now an adult, claimed that Chesney would make repeated inappropriate comments towards her and would "encourage her to dress provocatively."

Upon further investigation, police spoke with the victim's mother, who admitted to finding messages between the girl and her friends in which she reportedly accused Chesney of having inappropriate contact with her.

Police say the mother also provided investigators with home surveillance footage of a conversation between her and Chesney, in which he allegedly admitted to the abuse.

According to the affidavit, police say Chesney reportedly told the mother, "when I'm smoked up on weed, I don't know what I do. I don't know what the [expletive] I do when I am stoned."

Police say they reviewed additional footage of a conversation between Chesney and a witness, in which Chesney states that if he goes to jail, he will be "the joke of Williamsburg."

Troopers say Chesney reportedly ended the conversation by telling the witness, "I don't wanna go to jail."

Police say that when they spoke with the witness, he reportedly corroborated the statements made in the video and noted that Chesney reportedly tried to blame the victim for the alleged abuse.

Investigators also learned that Chesney alleged that there was a video of one of the alleged assaults.

According to online court records, Chesney was arraigned Monday night on a variety of charges including rape of a child, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and aggravated indecent assault.

He is being held at the Blair County Prison on $300,000 bail.

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