A Level 1 sex offender in Bethlehem has been arrested following a sexual assault investigation.
Gerald E. Houk Jr., 43, of Selkirk, was arrested after police investigated allegations he provided alcohol to someone under the age of 21. Police said he then allegedly engaged in sexual contact with a female victim who became intoxicated and passed out as a result of the alcohol consumption.
Houk Jr. is registered as a Level 1 sex offender after a conviction for unlawful surveillance, which took place in the Town of Bethlehem in 2009 and 2010, according to police. He was also charged with failing to register as a sex offender in the Town of Bethlehem in 2013. Police said Houk Jr. was currently on probation for these offenses. He was charged with felony counts of criminal sexual act in the first degree and sexual abuse in the first degree, as well as unlawfully dealing with a child in the first degree, a misdemeanor.
Houk Jr. was arraigned in the Bethlehem Town Court by the Hon. Ryan Donovan, where he was remanded to the Albany County Correctional Facility without bail. He is scheduled to reappear in the Bethlehem Town Court on Tuesday, Sept. 9, at 5 p.m. for a preliminary hearing. Police said the investigation is ongoing and additional charges are possible.
