Tom GantertSmithfield Township, PA – A Stroudsburg man was arrested for sexually assaulting a bridesmaid two days before his wedding but the bride married him anyway.
The assault occurred on Aug. 30 after the wedding party had been celebrating and day drinking together at the Shawnee Inn in Smithfield Township, WNEP reported.
Court documents showed that the 29-year-old bridesmaid, who was from Oregon, told police that she became very drunk during the celebration.
The victim told police that she had blacked out and when she woke up, she was in the men’s locker room downstairs and the groom, 28-year-old Daniel Carney, was fondling her, WNEP reported.
She also said Carney had removed her bikini bottom.
The bridesmaid told police that Carney didn’t stop until his bride walked into the locker room and caught him sexually assaulting her friend, WNEP reported.
Police said a physical fight broke out between Carney and his bride, according to police.
But despite it all, the couple still got married on Sept. 1, WNEP reported.
Police said they reviewed surveillance video from the Shawnee Inn and saw Carney and the bridesmaid walking in a hallway.
Then the video showed Carney pulling the bridesmaid into the locker room.
Police told WNEP that the woman appeared to be “extremely unsteady on her feet”.
On the day of the wedding, Carney sent the bridesmaid a text message that said he wanted closure before getting married.
Court records showed that the Monroe County District Attorney gave police permission to listen in on a phone call between the bridesmaid and her attacker.
Police said that during the call, Carney repeatedly apologized to the bridesmaid and admitted several times that it was his fault.
He also admitted to leading his victim into the locker room, according to WNEP.
When he was confronted by police, Carney initially claimed that he was very intoxicated and said that the bridesmaid took advantage of him after he said he was going to take a shower.
But he later admitted to police that he grabbed the bridesmaid and pulled her into the locker room with him, WNEP reported.
Carney was arrested and charged with deviate sexual intercourse of an unconscious person and indecent assault, according to The News Journal.
Neighbors were surprised by the news and said they thought the bride and groom seemed like a nice couple.
“They seemed fine, I never heard any rowdiness going on really,” Brenda Gilbert told WNEP.
Other folks were horrified to hear the bride had gone through with the wedding.
“He’s being charged?” Sarah Mahoney asked. “I don’t know how she’s continuing being with him and standing by his side.”