A suspended mental health therapist wants seven separate juries to hear evidence from 10 former patients who claim they were victims of sexual assaults, harassed, groped or subjected to other inappropriate behavior during counseling sessions over the last decade.
Gregory P. Miscik, 60, of Latrobe was first charged in November 2020 after a 15-year-old girl claimed that two years earlier, he paid her $60 to see three nude self portraits stored on her digital device. Police said nine additional accusers came forward over the next several months, including one who claimed she was raped by Miscik in 2011.
In all, Miscik faces 43 charges in seven separate criminal cases. Police charged Miscik with rape, sexual assault, promoting prostitution, human trafficking, possession of child pornography and harassment offenses.
Prosecutors have consolidated the cases against Miscik, which are all scheduled for trial in April before Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger.
In court on Monday, defense attorney Tim Andrews argued the allegations raised in each of the criminal cases are sufficiently independent from the others, meriting separate trials.
“Severance (of the cases) isn’t about what makes it easier for them (to prosecute). It’s about a common scheme or relevance,” Andrews said.
Prosecutors said the accusers, including some who were juveniles and were counseled by Miscik, came forward over the last year and described similar relationships and conduct with the man they saw for therapy sessions.
Assistant District Attorney Anthony Iannamorelli described Miscik’s behavior with his patients as a progression of bad behavior that started with harassment and requests to view illicit pictures and grew to include sexual assaults.
“Once laid out before the court you will see a common scheme. He makes it further with some victims than others,” Iannamorelli said.
Miscik has denied the allegations. His therapist’s license was suspended after the first criminal charges against him were filed in November 2020. He remains free on bail pending his trial.
The judge on Monday ordered lawyers to submit legal arguments in the next 40 days and the trial is likely to be delayed pending a decision on whether the cases will be tried together before one jury.
