A Croydon man has been found guilty in absentia of abusing two girls, one of them sexually.
Joseph Gries, 51, of the Croydon section of Bristol Township, was found guilty Monday by a jury of aggravated indecent assault of a child, simple assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and child endangerment. He will be sentenced at a later date.
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Gries fled the area before his trial this month and was arrested in southern California while his trial was ongoing, officials said in court.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, the investigation into Gries began in February after a woman complained to a neighbor in Croydon about how they were treated by Gries. Investigators said the girls told them Gries, who worked in the construction field, caused distress through mental and physical abuse.
Gries’ wife, Susan, testified last week that her husband had fled and left behind a two-page note that stated he was innocent, according to the Doylestown Intelligencer.
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“I can’t go away again for something I didn’t do. I just can’t,” Gries reportedly wrote.
Attorney Michael Applebaum, who represented Gries, told the newspaper he felt the trial would have had a different outcome if his client was present.
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Gries was last in the custody of California authorities and has to be extradited back to Bucks County.
