A Lancaster man accused of committing a cold-case sexual assault in 1997, and facing a second set of charges after a search warrant at his residence in August 2023 revealed child pornography, now faces a third set of charges after jurisdiction was established on pictures found during the search warrant that revealed him having unlawful contact with a minor.

The new set of charges against Eric Dorwart, 55 of the 500 block of Pleasure Road, include indecent assault of a person less than 13, corruption of minors, unlawful contact with a minor, and indecent exposure.

Police recovered a sequence of images from Dorwart’s electronics that depicted the defendant engaging in paraphilic sexual behavior involving feet with a juvenile victim.

A blanket captured in the background of one of the images matched a blanket found at Dorwart’s residence during the August 2023 search warrant.

Pennsylvania State Police executed the search warrant and found two laptops. An iPhone was also found in the garage of the residence.

A subsequent search warrant on the iPhone yielded approximately 464 images of fetish material with 61 images consistent with child pornography involving infant and toddler-aged victims.

Search warrants executed on the laptops indicated there were 1,672 images consistent with child pornography and associated erotica. Of those images, 167 were identified as Dorwart engaged in sexual contact with three separate prepubescent children.

Pennsylvania State Police continues to investigate to identify the victims, who were discovered to be infants that the Dorwart family may have babysat. Anyone with information who can assist in identifying the victims and any additional potential victims can contact Pennsylvania State Police Troopers Dakota Baer or Brian McNally at 717-299-7650.

Dorwart was charged in Oct. 2023 for a cold-case sexual assault occurring in 1997 outside of the victims’ home in Gordonville, Leacock Township.

Dorwart is charged with sexually assaulting a 7-year-old and 5-year-old victim. DNA evidence was collected in 1997 and the suspect containing that DNA profile was charged in 2002. From 2002 through 2022, the suspect’s DNA profile yielded negative results when periodically checked in CODIS. Investigators eventually identified Dorwart as a suspect and removed trash from the front of his residence that was left at the end of the driveway for street pickup on May 8, 2023.

Pennsylvania State Police investigators swabbed items recovered from the trash for DNA and on July 17, 2023, a review from the forensic DNA laboratory showed the DNA profile obtained from the trash matched the DNA saved as evidence from the sexual assault in 1997.

Dorwart waived his preliminary hearing Oct. 17, 2023, on charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse of a person less than 13, indecent assault of a person less than 15, and two counts of corruption of minors and will face those charges in Lancaster County Court.

Dorwart was released on $25,000 unsecured bail on the cold case charges.

Dorwart agreed to a stipulated preliminary hearing on Feb. 20, 2024, for the second set of charges and posted $250,000 bail. Magisterial District Judge Courtney Monson granted Assistant District Attorney Fritz Haverstick’s request to set a condition for Dorwart to have no contact with juveniles.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Dakota Baer filed charges.

Assistant District Attorney Fritz Haverstick is prosecuting the cases.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sean McBryan, semcbryan@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @SeanMcBryanLanc.