A Manheim Township man charged with masturbating in multiple public places as well as stalking a woman and her infant child will have his case proceed to county court after waiving his preliminary hearing.

Robert Kendig Bard, of the 300 block of Apple Lane, waived his preliminary hearing before Judge Jonathan Heisse on June 5 on charges of one count of stalking, four counts of indecent exposure and six counts of open lewdness.

Bard, 56, is accused of exposing himself and masturbating at numerous New Holland-area parks and public spaces as well as stalking a woman and her child.

Police began investigating Bard in June 2024 after a victim reported that a vehicle later traced back to Bard began following them and their 6-year-old child out of the parking lot of a New Holland grocery store in the first block of South Tower Road. The victim was so alarmed by Bard following her that she contacted police at her husband’s urging.

An eyewitness reported seeing a man matching Bard’s description observing another female victim at a New Holland park in the 100 block of East Conestoga Street in July 2024. When the victim left, Bard proceeded to follow her and then enter the same vehicle as the earlier incident.

Police found Bard days later appearing to masturbate at a New Holland cemetery in the 200 block of East Main Street.

In another incident, Bard was found appearing to masturbate in the gazebo of an Ephrata Township park before discarding paper towels. When tested at the Pennsylvania State Police Regional Laboratory for DNA and Serology, the paper towels were determined to contain semen.

Electronic surveillance also spotted Bard walking around partially nude and appearing to masturbate at a Lancaster city park on five different occasions in September, October, November and December 2024.

Bard is currently free on $25,000 bail.

New Holland Borough Police Detective Heather Halstead and Lancaster County Detectives filed the charges.

Assistant District Attorney Samantha Tropp will prosecute the case.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.